FIL ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T FEB RUARY 2, 2012 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 1- 11 44 6 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Agen cy No. A0 97 -8 35 -8 53

MARTIN MAR GIONI, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pet it io ne r, vers us U.S. ATTO RNEY GENERAL, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Res po nd en t.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of aDeci si on of t he Bo ardof I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Feb ru ary 2, 2 01 2) Befo re BARKETT, W ILSON an d ANDERSON, Ci rcu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM:Marti n M arg io ni , a na ti ve an d c it iz enof Al ba ni a, se ek s re vi ew of th e Bo ard of Im m ig rat io n Ap pe al s’s (B IA) fi na l o rd er af firm in g t he Im

m ig rat io n J ud ge ’s (IJ ) de ni al of h is ap pl ic at io n fo r as y lu m un de r th e Immig rat io n a ndNati on al it y Act (INA) § 20 8( a), 8 U.S.C. § 1 15 8( a), wit hh ol di ng of r em ov al , INA § 2 41 (b )(3 ), 8 U.S.C. § 1 23 1( b) (3 ), an d re li ef u nd er the Uni te d Nat io ns Co nv en ti on Agai ns t Tortur e an d Othe r Cru el , Inh um anor De gr ad in g Tre atm en t o r Pu ni sh m en t (C AT), 8 C .F.R. § 2 08 .16 (c). Onap pe al , Marg io ni arg ue s tha t the BIA erre d i n fi nd in g th atth e g ov ern m en t re bu tt edth e p res um pt io n o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti on by de m on st rat in g fu nd am en ta ll y ch an ge d c on di ti on s i n Al ba ni a. W e rev ie w th e BIA’s l eg al de te rm in at io ns de no vo an d i ts factua l de te rm in at io ns forsubs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. Al Na jj ar v. Ash cr of

t , 25 7 F .3d12 62 , 12 83 –8 4 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 1) . Und er the hi gh ly defer en ti al subs tant ia l ev id en ce t es t, we affi rm th e BIA’s fac tu al de te rm in at io ns if “ supp orte d b y reas on ab le , subs ta nt ia l, an d p ro ba ti ve ev id en ce o n the reco rdco ns id eredas awho le .” Id. at 12 84 (qu ot at io n o m it te d) . W e rev ers e th e BIA’s fac tu al fin di ng on ly if th e rec or d co m pe ls it ; “ th e m ere f

actth atth e rec or d m ay

supp ort a c on trary

co nc lu si on is no t en ou ghto jus ti fy

a rev ers al of the [BIA’s] fin di ng s.” Ade fe mi v. As hc ro

ft , 38 6 F.3 d 1 02 2, 1 02 7 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 4) (enba nc ) (ci ta ti on om it te d) . W e rev ie w on ly the BIA’s de ci si on , “ ex cep t t o t he ex te ntth atitex pr es sl y 2ad op ts th e IJ ’s op in io n.” Al Na jj ar , 25 7 F .3dat 1 28 4. Where , as h ere, the BIA

“ affi rm edan d re li edup on th e IJ ’s dec is io n a ndreas on in g,” we rev ie w th e IJ ’s op in io n “ to th e ex te ntth atth e BIA fo un d t ha t the IJ’s re as on s wer e supp orte d b y th e rec or d.” Ta ng

v. U.S. Att ’y Gen . , 57 8 F .3d12 70 , 12 75 (11 th Cir . 20 09 ). W e th us co ns id er the de ci si on s o f bo th th e IJan d t he BIA. It i s p erm is si bl e fo r th e BIA an d t he IJ t o re ly heav il y on th e St at e Dep artm en t re po rts ab ou t a c ou nt ry . Se e Reyes -S an ch ezv. U.S. Att ’y Gen . , 36 9 F.3 d 1 23 9, 1 24 3 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 4) . In re vi ewin g fo r subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce, we m ay no t “ rewei ghfro m

scr at chth e im

po rtanc e to be pl acedon ” th e St at e Dep art m en t co un try repo rts . Djo nd

a v . U.S. Att ’y Gen . , 51 4 F .3d11 68 , 11 75 (11 th Cir . 20 08 ) (quo ta ti onan d a lt erat io ns om it te d) . I An al ie n m ay

be gra nt edasylu m

if h e qua li fie s as a refu ge e. INA § 2 08 (b )(1 )(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1 15 8( b) (1 )(A). The INA def in es refu ge e as a pe rs on un ab le or u nwi ll in g t o re tu rnto hi s co un try of n at io na li ty “be cau se of p ers ecu ti on ora well -fo un de d fe ar o f pe rs ecu ti on on acco un t o f rac e, rel ig io n, n at io na li ty, m em be rs hi p i n apa rti cu la r so ci al gro up , or p ol it ic al op in io n.” INA § 1 01 (a)( 42 )(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1 10 1( a)(4 2) (A). The a sylum ap pl ic an t h as th e b ur de n to pro ve refu ge e st atus an d the reb y est ab li sh asylu m

eli gi bi li ty. Al Na

jj ar , 25 7 3F.3 d a t 1 28 4.

An as y lu m

ap pl ic an t wh o h as est ab li sh edpa stpe rs ecu ti on onacco un t o f a pr ot ect edgro un d i s p res um edto ha ve a well -fo un de d fe ar o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti on . 8 C.F.R. § 20 8.1 3( b) (1 ). Thi s p res um pt io n c anbe reb ut te d i n t wo ways. The go ve rn m en t ca n d em on st rat e, by a prep on de ran ce o f th e ev id en ce, ei th er (1 ) th at ci rcu m st an ces inth e h om e co un try hav e fu nd am en ta ll y ch an ge d t o t he ex te ntth at th e p et it io ne r ne edno lo ng er fe ar p ers ecu ti on or ( 2) th atth e ap pl ic an t co ul d a vo id a fu tu re thr eatby relo cat in g wi th in th e h om e co un try andth atitwou ldbe reas on ab le to ex pe cthi m to do so . 8 C.F.R. § 20 8.1 6( b) (1 )(i ). Neithe r pa rty here di sp ut es th e fi nd in gs of the BIA an d IJ th atMarg io ni ex pe rie nc edpa st pe rs ecu ti on . Ourrev ie w of the reco rdco nf irms th atsubs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e co nc lu si on s o f th e BIA an d IJ th atch an ge d c ou nt ry co nd it io ns inAlb an iareb ut th e p res um

pt io n o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti on . The So ci al is t Pa rty, whic h p rev io us ly pe rs ecu te d M arg io ni forhi s p ol it ic al affi li at io ns with t he Dem oc rat ic Part y , is no lo ng er i n p owe r; i n fa ctth e Dem oc rat ic Part y no w con tro ls Alb an ia . The rec en t St at e Dep art m en t co un try repo rts forAlb an iash ow a d ecre as e in po li ti cal ly m ot iv at edvi ol en ce. The rep orts do no t d em on st rat e th atth e So ci al is t Pa rty is en ga ge d i n v io le ntbe ha vi orag ai ns t m em be rs of the Dem oc rat ic Part y . Se e Reyes 4Sa nc he

z , 36 9 F .3dat 1 24 3 (p erm it ti ng th e BIA an d IJto “ rel y he av il y ” o n t he se rep orts ). Mar gi on i ar gu es th atth e d eci si on s o f th e BIA an d IJ ig no redreco rd ev id en ce an d t ha t the y

di d n otun de rta ke a su ffi ci en tl y in di vi du al iz ed de te rm in at io n abo uthi s ci rcu m st an ces . Bot h t he BIA’s an d IJ ’s dec is io ns st at e th atth ey co ns id eredall of t he ev id en ce p res en te d, an d t he writ te n o pi ni on s re fle ct th atth ey di d. An d a ltho ug h M arg io ni pre se nt edanexpe rt i n B al ka n h is to ry in supp ort o f hi s p os it io n, thi s co urt h as pre vi ou sl y ex pl ai ne d t ha t ex pe rt t es ti m on y th atis “un supp orte d b y

th e co un try repo rts ” d oe s n otne ces si ta te rev ers al . Rive ra v. U.S. Att ’y Gen . , 48 7 F .3d81 5, 8 22 (11 th Cir . 20 07 ). Mo reo ve r, we have pr ev io us ly hel d tha t the Sta te Depa rtment c ou nt ry rep orts forAlb an iam ay pr op erl y pro vi de th e b as is forfin di ng a ch an ge of c ou nt ry co nd it io ns . Se e Meh meti v. U.S. Att ’y Gen . , 57 2 F .3d11 96 , 11 98 –9 9, 1 20 0 (1 1th C ir. 2 00 9) (pe r cu ria m) (d eny in g t he pe ti ti on wher e th e ev id en ce o f ch an ge d c on di ti on s i n Al ba ni a was de riv edfro m

th e St at e Dep art m en t re po rts ); se e a ls o Bala v . Uni te d Sta tes , 42 9 F . App ’x 86 5, 8 67 , 86 9 (1 1t h C ir. 2 01 1) (pe r cu ria m) (s am e). W e th eref or e co nc lu de th atsubs ta nt ia l ev id en ce s up po rts th e fi nd in gs of the BIA an d IJ th atth e go ve rn m en t re bu tt edth e p res um pt io n o f fu tu re p ers ecu ti onby dem on st rat in g fund am en ta ll y

ch an ge d c on di ti on s i n Al ba ni a. 5Bec au se Marg io ni ha s fa il edto est ab li sh hi s el ig ib il it y forasylu m , he h as ne ces sa ril y

fai le d t o m eetth e h ig he r st an da rdforwithh ol di ng of r em ov al . Se e Djo nd a , 51 4 F .3dat 1 17 7. II To g ai n re li ef u nd er CAT, anali enm us t s ho w th athe wil l m or e li ke ly tha n no t b e to rtu redif re m ov edto hi s h om e co un try. 8 C.F.R. § 20 8.1 6( c)(2 ). For pu rp os es of C AT, “ to rtu re” i s an y actby whi chsev ere p ai n o r su ffer in g, wh ethe r ph y si cal or m en ta l, is in te nt io na ll y

in fli ct edon a pe rs on forsu chpu rp os es as o bt ai ni ng fro m hi m or h er o r a thi rdpe rs on in fo rm at io n o r a co nf es si on , pu ni sh in g h im

or h er fo r anacthe or s he or ath irdpe rs on ha s co m m it te d o r is su sp ect edof h av in g c omm it te d, o r in ti m id at in g o r co erci ng hi m

or h er o r a thi rdpe rs on , or fo r an y reas on ba se d o n di sc riminat io n o f an y

ki nd , when su chpa in or s uf feri ng is in fli ct edby orat t he in st ig at io n o f orwith t he co ns en t o r acqui es cen ce o f a p ub li c of fic ia l o r ot he r pe rs on act in g i n a n o ffi ci al cap aci ty. Id. § 2 08 .18 (a)( 1) . But , “ [i]f anali encan no t es tabl is h awell -fo un de d fe ar o f pe rs ecu ti on , th e al ie n a ls o c an no t es tabl is h t ha t i t i s m or e li ke ly tha n n otth athe wil l b e to rtu redba se d o n apro te ct edfact or .” Meh meti , 57 2 F .3dat 1 20 1 (c it at io ns om itte d) . Thu s, b ecau se Marg io ni can no t m eetth e st an da rdforasylu m , he i s li ke wis e n oten ti tl edto CAT rel ie f. Insu m , we fin d t ha t s ub st an ti al ev id en ce s up po rts th e d eci si on of t he BIA an d IJ . W e th eref

or e d en y Marg io ni rel ie f on hi s as y lu m , withh ol di ng of r em ov al ,

6an d C AT clai m s.

PETI TI ON DENI ED.

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