T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T KA R I NE KA R AP E T YA N; AR T UR A V ETI SY A N ; H A Y K A N U SH AV E T I S YA N, P et i t i o n ers, v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e y G e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 05- 77339 A ge nc y N os . A 075- 675- 360

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or re vi ew of the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s’ (“ B IA ”) order a ff i rm i ng an I mmi g r a t i o n J u d g e ’ s ( “ I J ” ) d e c i s i o n d e n y i n g h e rap p l i c a t i o n s f o ra s y l u m, w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , and p rot ec t i on un der the C on vent i on A gai nstT orture 

# FI LED MA Y21 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

(“ C A T ”) , on the basi s of a n adv er se cr edi bi l i ty det erm i nat i on . W e deny her p e titio n f o rr e v ie w .

“ W e r e vi e w a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i ons f ors ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e a nd re vers e onl y i f the evi dence com pel s acontra ryconcl usi on . ” Si ng h v. G on zales , 439 F . 3d 1100, 1105 ( 9th C i r . 2006) . T o s uppor ta n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng, the IJ “ m u sth av e a l eg i t i m at e art i cu l ab l e b asi s t o q u est i o n th e p et i t i o n er’ s cred i b i l i ty, and m ustoffe r aspec i fi c, cogentre as on for a ny st at ed di sbel i ef . ” H a r to o n iv . I

NS , 21 F . 3d 336, 342 ( 9th C i r . 1994) . “ [ T ] e s t i m ony tha ti s i m pl aus i bl e i n l i ghtof the b a c k g r o u n d e v id e n c e c a n s u p p o r t a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f in d in g .” J

ib r il v. G on zales , 42 3 F . 3d 11 29 , 11 35 (9th C i r. 20 05 ) ( ci t at i on , em ph as i s, and i nt ernal q u o ta tio n m a rk s o m itte d ) . T h e I J d es cr ib ed se v er al im p lau sib il it ies in d eter m in in g th at K ar ap etya n ’s t e s t i m ony w a s notc r e di bl e . K a r ape ty a n t e s t i f i e d tha ts he w a s pe r s e c ut e d f ortry i ng t o r e ve a l as e c r e tdoc um e ntaboutthe a s s a s s i na t i ons of hi gh- r a nki ng gove rnm e nt offi ci al s and the conspi ra cyt o m as k these m urders as sui ci des. T he IJfoun d that he rt e s t i m ony abouthe rbe ha vi orc onc e rni ng the doc um e ntw a s i m pl aus i bl e a nd i nc ons i s t e nt . F i r s t , he poi nt e d t o K a r ape ty a n’ s t e s t i m ony tha ta f t e rbe i ng i m pr i s one d, be a t e n, a nd hos pi t a l i z e d f ors e ndi ng al e tt e raboutthe c ons pi r a c y t o the pr os e c ut or , s he w r ot e a ga i n t o the s a m e pr os e c ut orupon he rr e l e a s e f r om the3

hos pi t a l . K a r ape ty a n a c know l e dge d tha ti tm us tha ve be e n the pr os e c ut orw ho caused her t o b e a rr es t ed and b ea t en, bu tshe tho ug htthathe w ou l d n ott ake a p e r s o n a l in te r e s t in h e rc a s e a n d w o u ld g iv e h e rs e c o n d le tte rto a n o th e rp r o s e c u to r . S ec on d, the IJexpl ai ned thather f ai l ure t o m ake c op i es of the do cum entw as i ncon si st entw i th h erst at ed desi re t o b ri ng the conspi ra cyt o l i gh t . K ar apetyan t es t i fi ed thatshe f

ai l ed t o b ri ng copi es of the re po rtt o a w om en’ s m ee t i ng of her pol i t i c a l pa r ty a tw hi c h s he de nounc e d the l e a de rof the pa r ty a s the l e a de rof the a s s a s s i na t i on r i ng. T he I J f ound i ti m pl aus i bl e tha ts he w oul d notbr i ng a ny e vi de nc e t o s uppor the rdr a m a t i c c l a i m a ga i ns tthe l e a de rof the pa r ty a nd i nc r e di bl e tha t , a s a n e xe c ut i ve s e c r e t a ry r e s pons i bl e f ora r c hi vi ng doc um e nt s , s he w oul d notunde r s t a nd the va l ue of c orr obor a t i ng he rc l a i m s w i th c opi e s of the doc um e nt . T hi r d, the I J not e d tha te ve n though K a r ape ty a n t e s t i f i e d tha ts he st ay ed i n A rm eni a ( af

t erher husband fl ed the coun try ) t o b ri ng the al l eged l ea der of the c ons pi r a c y t o j us t i c e , s he di d notknow a ny i nf orm a t i on aboutthe s u b s e q u e n t c h ar g e s a g a in s t th e le a d e r . B e c au s e o f th e s e im p lau s ib ilitie s in K a r ape ty a n’ s t e s t i m ony , the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng w a s s uppor t e d by subst ant i al evi dence. I n a ddi t i on, be c aus e K a r ape ty a n f a i l e d t o m e e the rbur de n of de m ons tr a t i ng th a t th e r e c o r d c o m p e ls th e c o n c lu s io n th a t h e rc la im is c r e d ib le , s h e a ls o f a ile d to4

m e e t h e rb u r d e n th a t s h e q u a lif ie s f o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. See Zehat

ye v. G on zales , 4 5 3 F .3 d 1 1 8 2 , 1 1 9 0 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 6 ). L ik ew ise, b ec au se K ar ap etya n ’s C A T c l a i m i s ba s e d on the s a m e a l l e ga t i ons tha ts uppor t e d he ra s y l um c l a i m , the I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility d e te rm in a tio n v a lid ly ap p lie d to h e rC A T c la im . Se e Far ah v . A s h c r o ft , 34 8 F . 3d 11 53 , 11 57 (9th C i r. 20 03 ) ( “ [P et i t i on er ] po i nt s t o n o o ther e v id e n c e th a t h e c o u ld c la im th e B I A s h o u ld h a v e c o n s id e r e d in m a k in g its d e t e rm i n a t i o n u n d e rth e C o n v e n t i o n Ag a i n s tT o r tu r e . T h e r e f o r e , b e c au s e we affi rm th e B IA ’ s d et erm i n at i o n th at[p et i t i o n er] . . . [w as] n o tcred i b l e, w e m u st si m i l arl y affi rm th e rej ect i o n o f [p et i t i o n er] ’ s cl ai m u n d er th e C o n v en t i o n A g ai n st T o r tu r e .” ) . W e d e n y h e rp e titio n f o rr e v ie w . W e d ecl i n e t o reach h er i n effecti v e assi st an ce o f co u n sel arg u m en tb ecau se s h e r a is e d th is a r g u m e n t f o rth e f ir s t tim e o n ap p e a l. Se e M a r t i n ez - Ze la

y a v . I NS , 84 1 F . 2d 29 4, 29 6 (9th C i r. 19 88 ) ( “ O ur re vi ew do es no text end t o w hat [ pe t i t i one r ] s houl d ha ve a r gue d t o the B I A . I ns t e a d, ourr e vi e w i s c onf i ne d t o the B I A ’s d e c is io n a n d th e b a s e s u p o n w h ic h th e B I A r e lie d .” ) . W e a ls o d e n y K a r ap e ty a n ’s m o tio n to s u b m it e v id e n c e in to th e r e c o r d . DE NI E D.