(Minghui.org) Mr. Guo Yutang, in his 70s, from Baisi Township, Shangshui County, was arrested by police on May 26, 2017 for his belief in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He was sentenced to a one-year-and-six-month prison term by the Shangshui Court on December 21, 2017, and taken to the Xinmi Prison.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under the directive of former head Jiang Zemin, launched the nationwide persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999. The state-run media was then instructed to fabricate stories to slander practitioners.
Mr. Guo was worried that the CCP's propaganda would incite the villagers to be against Falun Gong. To help them understand the truth, he ignored the risk of being persecuted and clarified the truth about his faith.
Two officers from the Baisi Police Station broke into his home on May 26, 2017. Mr. Guo told them the facts about the persecution, but the officers refused to listen and confiscated three Falun Gong books.
Officers from the Zhoukou Police Station, the Shangshui Police Station, and the Baisi Police Station broke into and ransacked Mr. Guo's home at midnight that evening. They confiscated Falun Gong books, photos of the founder of Falun Gong, and other informational materials. Mr. Guo was arrested and taken to the Shangshui County Detention Center.
The police demanded that the Procuratorate place Mr. Guo under official arrest. The Procuratorate concurred and brought charges against him. Mr. Guo was tried by the Shangshui Court and sentenced to a one-year-and-six-month prison term. He was taken to the Xinmi Prison on December 21, 2017.
Mr. Guo lived in misery for well over half of his life. His father passed away when he was only 11 years old. His wife died when he was 42, and he suffered a mental collapse. He felt hopeless and worried that he would not be able to care for the family on his own.
His children and relatives tried to comfort him and talk him out of his depressive mood, but he simply remained silent. When no one was around, he would sit in a room and sob uncontrollably for hours.
His eyesight eventually turned blurry, and he developed asthma. After seeing many doctors, he gave up looking for relief. His hair turned white, his health deteriorated, and he was not able to make a living.
Someone introduced Falun Gong to him in 1997. Not long after he started practicing, his health was restored. His asthma disappeared, his eyesight recovered, and he regained his weight.
He followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He no longer became sick, and took fame and fortune lightly. He is now more considerate of others and is well respected in his community.