BANGKOK, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Primary Criminal Court on Tuesday convicted three election commissioners in malfeasance and put them in jail immediately, depriving them of the right to be elected election commission member for 10 years, according to local media reports.

    The three commissioners, Election Commission chairman Vasana Puemlarp, EC members Prinya Nakchadtree and Virachai Naewboonnienwere, were found guilty of violating the election law by mishandling the April 2 election and a subsequent election and sentenced to four years in jail, the reports said, adding that they were also disfranchised the right to be elected a EC member for 10 years.

    The three were led by court officials to be detained inside the cell at the court pending their appeal to higher courts.

    The suit was filed against the three EC commissioners by Democrat deputy Secretary-General Thavorn Sennium on April 18. Thavorn alleged the three with violating the Criminal Code and MPs and Senators Election Act.

    The court ruled that Thavorn had no authority to file the criminal charges citing the Criminal Code but the three EC commissioners were found guilty of violating the MPs and Senators Election Act.

    Legal experts in Thailand have been debating whether the three EC members would automatically lose their status and be deprived the right to organize the next general election scheduled on October 15 if found guilty. Enditem