Journalists released by Fiji police

Two Fiji journalists who had been held by police for two nights have been released.

The journalists, from a Fiji news website, were behind bars after reporting that the military regime released prisoners convicted of killing a civilian.

FijiLive journalist Shelvin Chand was taken to Suva Police Station on Saturday while his colleague Dionisia Turagabeci had been detained since Sunday.

The reporters had been kept in separate cells for breaking the regime's new strict media reporting laws, Fairfax New Zealand reported.

Under the emergency rules instituted after last month's political turmoil, the military government ordered that news organisations could only report positive news.

Government officials were placed in newsrooms to vet all coverage, a move that has sparked international condemnation for the gagging of public expression.

On Friday, FijiLive reported the regime had freed nine soldiers and three policemen jailed in 2007 for killing a teenager.

The dozen had been convicted of manslaughter and ordered to serve between eight years and life for the torture and death of 19-year-old Sakiusa Rabaka a month after the regime's 2006 coup.

Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Downer took up the case at the time and referred it to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

Meanwhile, the regime has celebrated the success of the the new censorship laws, which were last week extended another month to June 10.

Military spokesman Neumi Leweni told journalists Fijians were benefiting from more positive news.

"The people of Fiji are now experiencing a remarkable change from what used to be highly negative and sensationalised news to a more positive, balanced and responsible reporting by the media," Leweni said.

- NZPA / AAP