The two Tunisians Noureddine Taboubi and Abdelkrim Jrad planned to take part in a congress of Bahraini trade unions but were denied entry on Saturday the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) said.

Sami Tahri the UGTT spokesman told Mosaique FM radio that the two were banned 'because of the UGTT's rejection of Hezbollah's classification as a terrorist organisation'.

The ban was 'undemocratic' and 'contrary to international law' he said adding that 'there are always countries which are against any free and independent positions'.

Last Thursday the UGTT and another member of Tunisia's Nobel Prize winning quartet condemned a decision by the Gulf states to blacklist Hezbollah as a 'terrorist' organisation.

The move by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) led by Saudi Arabia formed part of 'an offensive by foreign and other regional forces to divide the Arab world and destroy its forces' the UGTT said.