(Minghui.org) Another 151 Beijing residents have signed petitions pressing for the release of Mr. Sun Fuyi, 68, a Falun Gong practitioner who was recently tried for his faith.

Mr. Sun was tried on December 9, 2016 by the Shunyi District Court in Beijing. He was charged with “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement," a standard pretext used by the Chinese Communist Party to prosecute Falun Gong practitioners. Only one family member was allowed to attend the trial.

Mr. Sun has been detained for nearly a year after he was reported to the police for talking to people about Falun Gong on January 11, 2016.

Previously, 278 residents had signed petitions in support of Mr. Sun, who was very well known among locals for being the “go-to person” when people needed help.

His family mailed the 278 petitions to Shunyi District Procuratorate, the police department and other governmental offices, in the hopes that they would stop participating in the persecution and release Mr. Sun.

Although the police still pressed charges against Mr. Sun after receiving the petitions, Mr. Sun's family and his friends continued to collect petitions, seeking more grassroots support.

Many signed the petitions with detailed personal information and shared their stories of how Mr. Sun had helped them, despite the potential threat to their own safety.

“He is such a nice person. how can we not do what we can to rescue him,” one person said while signing the petition.

A Model Worker

Mr. Sun worked at a telecommunications agency. He was honored as a model worker every year before the persecution started. In his spare time, he often helped people with electrical tasks without taking any compensation.

His employer valued him so much that he hired him back with full salary and benefits after he was released from a forced labor camp. When the 610 Office staff ordered his employer to monitor him at work, his employer resisted the pressure and refused to comply.

A Helpful Neighbor

There was a muddy road in the neighborhood. People all walked by each day but no one bothered to fix it. Mr. Sun bought pipes and fixed the road with help from a few other people.

Mr. Sun bought a minivan and became a taxi driver after he retired. He often gave free rides to local villagers when they were in need.

He lived a frugal life himself, but when people were in need of money for things like doctor visits, he always lent money to them.

“He never talked about what good deeds he did outside. If the local villagers didn't tell us about it while signing the petitions, we would never know about it.” said one of Mr. Sun's family members.

The village administration once sent a person to monitor him in 2011. He treated that person very nicely and helped him with house chores. That person was very touched. When Mr. Sun's family member collected petitions this time, he also signed it.

At home, he took good care of his parents and never pushed the responsibility onto his siblings.

Previous reports:Beijing Man to Face Trial for His BeliefsVillagers Petition to Release Man Illegally Detained for His FaithNeighbors Demand Falun Gong Practitioner's Release from Illegal Detention