(Minghui.org) A Baoding City, Hebei Province resident was sentenced to five years in prison for not renouncing his faith in Falun Gong, a mind-body self-improvement discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.

Mr. Gu Minglong, around 56, was arrested on July 18, 2018 while distributing materials about Falun Gong in Niudian Village. His family went to request his release because no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong. The police refused to listen.

The local procuratorate approved his arrest on August 3. Although they returned it to the police once due to insufficient evidence, they eventually forwarded it to the court.

Mr. Gu was sentenced to five years in prison by Dingzhou City Court in late February 2019 and has been sent to a prison in Tangshan City to serve time.

Prior to his latest arrest and sentencing, Mr. Gu was arrested on May 26, 2017 while putting up self-adhesive posters with information about Falun Gong. The police ransacked his home and confiscated his Falun Gong books, computer and other personal belongings.

The officers kicked and punched him in the face. His left eye still had bruises before his latest arrest in 2018. The police tied him up, carried him to the police car and took him to the police station. One officer slapped him in the face when he urged them not to participate in the persecution.

Mr. Gu was kept at Dingzhou City Detention Center and released on June 4, 2017.

Mr. Gu is a bricklayer. His hot temper disappeared after he learned Falun Gong. He stopped fighting and cursing others. He also returned the salaries he owed his workers from ten years ago, after realizing his wrongdoing from studying Falun Gong's teachings.