(Minghui.org) A resident in Jiutai City was sentenced to prison for distributing materials describing the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Mr. Sun Jinghe is well known among locals. He used to suffer from unexplained illnesses and lost the ability to work. He turned to drinking and gambling and took pleasure in beating his wife and son. The 51-year-old man, however, regained his health and rejoined the workforce after he began to practice Falun Gong in 1998. He also quit drinking and gambling with no trouble and reinvented himself as a loving husband and father.

As such, he never shied away from telling people about Falun Gong and its vilification by the Chinese Communist Party.

He was driving his car around to distribute Falun Gong materials on January 25, 2017 when he was noticed by four local men. They held him at knifepoint and demanded 2,000 yuan. He refused to comply and was beaten. His head, left eye, and left leg were severely injured.

One of the men then called police, who soon arrived to arrest Mr. Sun. The four men left after being praised by police for catching a Falun Gong practitioner.

Upon learning of his arrest, more than 400 local residents signed a petition calling for his release.

Petition with fingerprints

An officer named Chang Gui told Mr. Sun’s family that it was no use trying to seek his release because the authorities had decided to sentence him to prison.

Mr. Sun first appeared in court on June 6, 2017, but the hearing was halted when the video system broke down. He was brought to court again on September 28 and given a 5.5-year prison sentence. He was also fined 10,000 yuan.

Mr. Sun is appealing his case while he is held at Jiutai City Detention Center.