Beijing ? A prominent pastor in Beijing’s underground Protestant church was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday for illegally printing and distributing Bibles and other religious books, in a case that has attracted attention from Christian groups in the United States and elsewhere.

The Beijing People’s Intermediate Court handed down the sentence immediately after convicting Cai Zhuohua, 34, of the crime of conducting “illegal business practices,” said his attorney, Zhang Xingshui. Two co-defendants were also convicted and sentenced to prison, he said.

The sentencing comes less than two weeks before President Bush is scheduled to visit China and underscores a sense among U.S. diplomats and human rights activists that the Chinese government has decided not to release a political prisoner as a symbolic gesture before the visit as it has done in advance of other visits by U.S. presidents.

Cai’s sentence, although less than the 10-year maximum he faced, could be seen as an insult to the Bush administration, which has repeatedly highlighted freedom of religion as a top concern in human rights talks with Chinese leaders. U.S. diplomats had also raised concerns about Cai’s case with the Chinese authorities.

“This is not an acceptable result,” Bob Fu, president of the China Aid Assn., a Christian rights organization based in Midland, Texas, said in a statement. “We urge President Bush to use his upcoming visit to China to address the serious religious persecution in this case.”

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.