Colombo, December 26:

A Sri Lankan judge today 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, 105 km 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.” A female journalist and TV cameraman from France 24 were filming a Tamil family visiting their detained relatives on Christmas Eve, the FMM said.