COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan judge on Wednesday freed two foreign television reporters held for two days by police while making a documentary about people detained under emergency laws, officials said.

The two-member crew of France 24 were detained overnight at Ratgama, 105km south of the capital, after they were taken into custody by the military on Christmas Eve.

“They were taken before a judge in Colombo after being questioned by the Terrorist Investigations Department,” a court official said. “The judge ordered them to be freed without any charges.” In Paris the government confirmed the news. Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner “sends thanks to all those who contributed to the release, notably to the Sri Lankan authorities,” a statement said.

The pair had been taken on Tuesday before another judge in the island’s south who ordered that they be handed over to the TID for further investigation.

Sri Lanka’s independent Free Media Movement (FMM) had called for their immediate release and accused the authorities of overreacting and suppressing the right to information.

A female journalist and TV cameraman from France 24 were filming a Tamil family visiting their detained relatives on Christmas Eve, the FMM said.

—AFP