FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT N ove m be r 29, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 05- 12393 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N o. A 79- 448- 055 R U D I N A Z H U L E K U , P e titio n e r , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( N ove m be r29, 2005) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: R udi naZ hul e ku, a n a l i e n a nd A l ba ni a n c i t i z e n w ho appl i e d f ora s y l um a nd2

w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l, p e titio n s f

o rr e v ie w o f

th e d e n ia l o f

h e rap p lic a tio n . B e c au s e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e s u p p o rt s th e d e c i s i o n o f th e I m m i g r a t i o n J u d g e , we d e n y Z h u le ku ’s p e titio n . I . B AC KG RO UN D Z h u l ek u i s an A l b an i an ci t i zen w h o arri v ed i n th e U n i t ed S t at es w i th a fal se N orw e gi a n pa s s porti n M a y 2002. A f t e rthe gove rnm e ntde ni e d he rappl i c a t i on f or a d mi s s i o n u n d e rth e V i s aW a i v e rPi l o tPr o g r a m, Zh u l e ku ap p l i e d f o ra s y l u m, w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , and rel i ef un der the C on vent i on A gai nstT orture. T he IJ d e n ie d Z h u le ku ’s ap p lic a tio n . Z hu l eku al l eged thatshe had suff er ed se vera l i nci dent s of har as sm ent , abuse, a n d c r im in a l a s s au lt. Z h u le ku d e s c r ib e d h e r s e lf a s ale a d e ra n d a c tiv e m e m b e rin the oppos i t i on D e m oc r a t i c P a rty . S he a l l e ge d tha tgove rnm e ntpol i c e i nt e rrupt e d a D e m oc r a t i c P a rty m e e t i ng i n N ove m be r1998 a nd m i s tr e a t e d he ra nd othe r s . S he al so st at ed that , as she w as l ea vi ng the m ee t i ng thatni gh t , a c ardrov e up and an o c c u p a n t to ld Z h u le ku to “le a v e th e g r o u p a n d d is ap p e a r ” a n d th a t “w e a r e g o in g to c uty ours ki n of

f , j us tl i ke c a tt l e . ” F ors e ve r a l da y s a f t e rthe s e e ve nt s , Z hul e ku r e c e iv e d p h o n e c a lls f

r o m a n o n y m o u s c a lle r s w h o th r e a te n e d to a rr e s t a n d k ill h e r . Z hu l eku al so al l eged thati n M ay20 01 her c arw as st op ped b y f ou r m as ked p e r s o n s d r e s s e d a s p o lic e w h o o r d e r e d Z h u le ku a n d h e rth r e e c o m p a n io n s to e x it th e car, s earch ed th e car an d fo u n d a b o x o f l i t eratu re o f th e D em o crat i c P arty,3

threw the bo x o f l i t er ature on the grou nd , and then b ea tZ hu l eku and her c om pa ni ons . T hr e e da y s l a t e r , s he r e c e i ve d al e tt e ri n w hi c h “ the ga ngs t e r s of the S oci al i stP arty” threa t ened t o b urn Z hu l eku and her f am i l y i f s he di d n ot“ se para t e” h e r s e lf f r o m th e Y o u th F o ru m o f th e D e m o c r a tic P a rty . Z h u le ku a ls o a lle g e d th a t, o n th e m o rn i n g a f

t e rth e J u n e 2 0 0 1 e l e c t i o n s , s h e wa s p u n c h e d a n d r o b b e d b y two m en as she w as l ea vi ng her hom e. Z hu l eku al so al l eged thatshe had been ki dnappe d a nd r ape d a f t e rl e a vi ng am e e t i ng of the Y outh F orum i n F e brua ry 2002, buton c r os s - e xa m i na t i on Z hul e ku a dm i tt e d s he ha d notbe e n r ape d. Z h u l ek u l eftA l b an i a o n M ay 1 2 , 2 0 0 2 . S h e sp en tth ree d ays each i n It al y, F ran ce, an d G u ad el o u p e b u td i d n o tseekasyl u m o r refu g ee st atu s i n an y o f th o se pl ac es . Z hu l eku then ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es atthe M i am i Int ernat i on al A i rport o n M a y 2 1 a n d w a s d e n ie d a d m is s io n u n d e rth e V is aW a iv e rP ilo t P r o g r a m . Z hu l eku fi l ed an appl i ca t i on for a sy l um and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al i n O ct ob er 2002. I n a ddi t i on t o the s t a t e m e nt s s he m a de i n he rappl i c a t i on a nd he rt e s t i m ony a tth e h e a r i n g , Z h u l e ku o f f e r e d av a r i e ty o f

d o c u m e n t a ry e v i d e n c e , i n c l u d i n g two le tte r s f r o m th e a lle g e d le a d e ro f th e D e m o c r a tic P a rty a n d m e d ic a l r e p o rts de s c r i bi ng Z hul e ku’ s c ondi t i on a f t e rthe a tt a c ks on he r . I n r e s pons e , the go vernm ent , i n add i t i on t o cross -e xam i ni ng Z hu l eku atthe as yl um hear i ng , offe re d ava r i e ty of

r e port s a nd s tudi e s , i nc l udi ng the 2001 S t a t e D e pa rtm e ntP r of i l e of4

A s y l um C l a i m s a nd C ountry C ondi t i ons f orA l ba ni a . A f

t e rc onduc t i ng a n a s y l um hear i ng , the IJfoun d thatZ hu l eku’ s t es t i m on y w as no tcr edi bl e and thatshe had fa i l ed t o sat i sf

y herbu rden of proo f. T he B IA af fi rm ed the deci si on of the IJ w ith o u t o p in io n . I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW W he n the B I A a f

f i rm s ade c i s i on of

the I J w i thoutopi ni on, w e r e vi e w the de c i s i on of

the I J . N r e kav. U . S . A tty . G e n. , 408 F . 3d 1361, 1368 ( 11th C i r . 2005) (c i t i ng A l N ajj arv. A shcr oft , 25 7 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 84 (11th C i r. 20 01 )) . W e r evi ew l eg al d et erm i n at i o n s d e n o v o . Id . at1 3 6 1 . W e rev i ew factu al d et erm i n at i o n s, in c lu d in g d e te rm in a tio n s o f c r e d ib ility , u n d e rth e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s ta n d a r d . F or gue v. U . S . A tty . G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1282, 1286 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ; D - M uhum e d v. U . S . A tty. G en. , 38 8 F . 3d 81 4, 81 8 (11 th C i r. 20 04 ). T he “ IJm ustoffe r s peci fi c, c oge ntr e a s ons f

ora n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng, ” F or gue , 401 F . 3d a t1287, but “th is c o u rt m a y n o t s u b s titu te its ju d g m e n t f o rth a t o f th e [ I J ] w ith r e s p e c t to c r e di bi l i ty f

i ndi ngs . ” D - M uhum e d, 388 F . 3d a t818. F i ndi ngs of f a c t , i nc l udi ng cred i b i l i ty fi n d i n g s, “ m ay b e rev ersed b y th i s co u rto n l y w h en th e reco rd co m p el s a r e ve r s a l ; the m e r e f

a c ttha tthe r e c or d m a y s upportac ontr a ry c onc l us i on i s not e n o u g h to ju s tif

yar e v e r s a l o f

th e a d m in is tr a tiv e f

in d in g s .” A d e f

e m i v . A s h c r o f

t, 3 8 6 F. 3 d 1 0 2 2 , 1 0 2 7 ( 1 1 th Ci r . 2 0 0 4 ) ( e n b a n c ) , c e rt . d e n i e d , 5 4 4 U . S. __ , 1 2 5 S. C t. 2 2 4 5 ( 2 0 0 5 ) ; F o r g u e , 4 0 1 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 7 .5 I I I . DI S CUS S I ON T o be e l i gi bl e f

ora s y l um , a n a l i e n m us tqua l i f y a s ar e f uge e unde rs e c t i on 2 0 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) o f

th e I mm i g r a t i o n a n d Na t i o n a l i ty Ac t . 8 U. S. C. § 1 1 5 8 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A) . To qu al i fyas a r ef

ug ee , an al i en m ustprov e e i ther pas tpers ec ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fear o f fu tu re p ersecu t i o n o n acco u n to f th e h er race, rel i g i o n , n at i o n al i ty, m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n . 8 U .S .C . § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) ; s e e A l N a jj a r , 257 F . 3d a t1284. T o pr ove pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, the a lie n m u s t p r o v e th a t s h e w a s p e r s e c u te do n a c c o u n t o f o n e o f th e s ta tu to r ily pr ot e c t e d gr ounds . S e e , e . g. , S e pul ve dav. U . S . A tty . G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1226, 1230- 1231 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . T o pr ove aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on, the a l i e n m us tpr e s e nt“ s pe c i f i c , de t a i l e d f

a c t s ” tha ts upporthe rf

e a rtha ts he w i l l be

“ si ng l ed ou t ” on accountof a s t atut ori l y prot ec t ed grou nd . A l N ajj ar , 25 7 F . 3d at 1 2 8 7 ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n a n d e m p h a s is o m itte d ) . T he IJoffe re d speci fi c and cogentre as on s i n sup po rtof i t s f i nd i ng that Z hul e ku w a s notc r e di bl e . I n he rappl i c a t i on a nd a tthe he a r i ng, Z hul e ku une qui voc a l l y s t a t e d tha ts he ha d be e n r ape d, buton c r os s - e xa m i na t i on Z hul e ku adm i tt ed thather a tt ac kers had n othad sex w i th h er . Z hu l eku exp l ai ned h ervi ew tha t“ a s af

e m a l e a nd be i ng 22 y e a r s ol d, r api ng a nd vi ol a t i ng m y r i ght s a s ape r s on i nt o [si c] do es n’ tj ustm ean sexual cont ac t . Ital so m eans t ou chi ng m e i n the pl ac es w h er e I sh o u ld n ’tb e. T h re aten m e, b ea ti n g m e, th at’s also ra p e a s f aras I’m6

concerned. ” T he IJre

j ec t ed thi s t es t i m on y and “ re spec t ful l y [ foun d] thatthe t erm

‘ r ape ’ ha s auni ve r s a l m e a ni ng. T he t e rm ‘ r ape , ’ w i thoutr e f e rr i ng t o a ny d i ct i o n ary d efi n i t i o n , g en eral l y co n n o t es th atu n co n sen su al an d fo rced i n t erco u rse w a s i nf l i c t e d upon a n i ndi vi dua l . ” T he I J f ound tha tZ hul e ku ha d “ m a ni pul a t e d the t erm ‘ rape’ t o p rovi de sy m pathet i c f ac t s t o h erca se . ” T he I J a l s o obs e rve d othe ri nc ons i s t e nc i e s i n Z hul e ku’ s t e s t i m ony : ( 1) Z h u le ku s ta te d in h e rap p lic a tio n th a t s h e w a s a tta c k e d in J u n e 2 0 0 1 , b u t f a ile d to pr ovi de de t a i l e d t e s t i m ony aboutthe i nc i de nta the ra s y l um he a r i ng; ( 2) Z hul e ku t es t i fi ed thatshe obt ai ned a bi rth cert i fi ca t e i n N ov em ber 200 1 b ec ause she nee ded it to ap p ly to u n iv e r s ity , b u t e ls e w h e r e te s tif ie d th a t s h e ap p lie d to u n iv e r s ity in J une 2000 a nd J une 2001; a nd ( 3) Z hul e ku f a i l e d t o s e e k r e f

uge e pr ot e c t i on or ap p l y f o rp o l i t i c a l a s y l u m w h e n s h e w a s i n t e rv i e w e d b y o f f i c i a l s o f th e U . S. E m ba s s y i n A l ba ni ai n D e c e m be r2001 r e ga r di ng he rappl i c a t i on f oranonim m ig r a n t v is ito r ’s v is a . T h e in c o n s is te n c ie s in Z h u le ku ’s te s tim o n y , e s p e c ia lly her f al se al l egat i on of rape, w er e s peci fi c and cogentre as on s f or the IJt o m ake a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f

i ndi ng. S ub st ant i al evi dence al so supp ort s the fi nd i ng of the IJthatZ hu l eku’ s other evi dence w as un pers uasi ve. S ee F orgu e, 40 1 F . 3d at12 87 . T he IJfoun d sever al i ncon si st enci es i n the tw o l ett er s f rom a D . H az nedari , w ho al l egedl y w as the head of the D e m oc r a t i c P a rty i n A l ba ni a . T he I J f ound tha tboth l e tt e r s l a c ke d i ndi c i aof7

r e l i abi l i ty be c aus e the y w e r e noton l e tt e rhe a d a nd w e r e e nt i r e l y type w r i tt e n e xc e pt f o rc e rta in s ta m p s a f

f ix e d to th e m . T h e I J o b s e rv e d th a t Z h u le ku d id n o t e x p la in w hy on e l ett erst at ed thatZ hu l eku h ad been a m em ber of the Y ou th F orum si nce J a nua ry 1997 w hi l e the othe rl e tt e rs t a t e d tha tZ hul e ku ha d be e n am e m be rof the D em ocra t i c P arty s i nce F ebruary19 97 . B ec ause the l ett er s bore the sa m e dat e, A u g u s t 2 7 , 2 0 0 2 , th e I J q u e s tio n e d w h y H a z n e d a r i w o u ld e x e c u te tw o s e p a r a te le tte r s . T he H a z ne da r i l e tt e r s w e r e notthe onl y doc um e nt s the I J c ons i de r e d t o be su sp icio u s. T h e I J w as tro u b led b y th e m ed ical re p o rts r eg ar d in g Z h u lek u ’s a l l e ge d be a t i ng a nd r ape , w hi c h appa r e nt l y w e r e c r e a t e d a tthe r e que s tof as ol i c i t or r e f e rr e d t o a s O P G J . T he I J f ound the r e f

e r e nc e t o the O P G J t o be i nc ons i s t e nt w i th Z hu l eku’ s a l l egat i on thatshe s uffe re d p er se cut i on by the A l bani an go vernm entor m em bers of the S oci al i stP arty bec ause i tsugg es t ed thatthere had b e e n p o lic e a n d p r o s e c u to r ia l in v o lv e m e n t in th e c r im e s th a t Z h u le ku a lle g e d ly s u f f e r e d . T he I J a l s o f

ound tha tc ount e rva i l i ng e vi de nc e of f e r e d by the gove rnm e nt f urthe runde rm i ne d Z hul e ku’ s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um . T he 2001 S t a t e D e pa rtm e nt P rofi l e of A sy l um C l ai m s and C ou ntryC on di t i on s f or A l bani a s t at ed that ap p lic a n ts f

o ra s y lu m “o f

te n r e l[ y ] o n f

r au d u le n t d o c u m e n ts ,” “f o r g e d d o c u m e n ts a r e . . . c o m m o n ,” “d o c u m e n ts is s u e d b y A lb a n ian m e d ic a l p r a c titio n e r s a r e r a r e ly8

r e liab le ,” “[ a ]ll p o litic a l p a rtie s h a v e b e e n a c tiv e in m o s t th e c o u n try w ith o u t a p a tte rn o f

m is tr e a tm e n t, e v e n d u r in g th e d a rkd a y s o f 1 9 9 7 ,” a n d “[ t]h e r e is vi rtual l y no evi dence thati nd i vi du al s are t ar get ed for m i stre atm enton po l i t i ca l g ro u n d s.” T h is ev id en ce co rr o b o ra ted th e c o n ce rn o f th e I J a b o u t b o th Z h u lek u ’s doc um e nt a ry e vi de nc e a nd t e s t i m ony . B e c aus e s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the d e n ia l o f Z h u le ku ’s ap p lic a tio n f o ra s y lu m , w e d e n y h e rp e titio n . Z hul e ku a l s o pe t i t i ons f orr e vi e w of

the de ni a l of

he rappl i c a t i on f

or w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l u n d e rs e c tio n 2 4 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) o f th e I N A . S e e 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) . B e c au s e th e s ta n d a r d o f p r o o f r e q u ir e df

o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l is hi gh erthan the st andard of proo f r equi re d for w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pers ec ut i on , an al i en w ho fa i l s t o m ee tthe st andard for w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future p e r s e c u tio n n e c e s s a r ily w ill f a il to m e e t th e s ta n d a r d f o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. D -M u h u m ed , 3 8 8 F .3 d at 8 1 9 ; see A l N ajjar, 2 5 7 F .3 d at 1 2 9 2 -9 3 . Z h u lek u ’s f a i l ur e t o pr ove aw e l l - f

ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on i n he rappl i c a t i on f or a s y lu m n e c e s s a r ily m e a n s th a t s h e f a ile d to q u a lif

y f o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.