(Minghui.org) A Luanping County resident was sentenced to three years in prison for distributing information exposing the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Mr. Wang Rui, 55, is an employee of Luanping County Market Supervisory Authority. He was seized on March 30, 2017 while distributing Falun Gong materials in a residential area. Police proceeded to ransack his home, but they didn’t allow him to be present. His wife, Ms. Guo Qinghua, wasn’t shown a search warrant or given a chance to verify the list of confiscated items as required by law.

Hou Wei, the local Domestic Security Office head, seized Ms. Guo on April 5 and interrogated her at the local police station for several hours before setting her free.

Mr. Wang’s lawyer, Mr. Cheng Hai, went to inquire about his case on April 26, but Hou refused to provide an update or accept Mr. Cheng’s application to legally represent Mr. Wang. The lawyer filed a complaint with police chief Xuan Guofeng, who then ordered his officers to take the lawyer’s application materials.

Mr. Wang appeared in court on August 31, and Mr. Cheng entered a not guilty plea for him, as no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. The presiding judge sentenced Mr. Wang to three years in prison on September 15. Mr. Wang submitted his appeal to Luanping County Court six days later. The lower court forwarded the appeal to Chengde City Intermediate Court on October 10.

Mr. Wang remains at Luanping County Detention Center, where he was abused and suffered from declining health.