N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
ZELJKO B OSKOVIC ,

Pe t i tione r,
v. W ILLIAM P. B ARR , Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 18-70431 Age n c y No. A075-032-914
M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Argue d a nd Subm itte d Oc tobe r 28, 2020 Portla nd, Ore gon B e fore : GR

AB E R , C LIFTON, a

nd IKUTA, C irc uit Judge s. Pe titione r Ze l

jko B oskovic se e ks re vie w of the B oa rd of Im m igrat ion Appe a ls’ (" B IA" ) fina l orde r de ny ing his re q ue sts for a sy lum , withholding of



# FIL ED NOV 4 2020 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.re m ova l, a

nd othe r re lie f. 1 W e have jurisdic tion under 8 U.S.C . § 1252(a)(1). R e vie wing for substa

ntia l e v i de nc e , tha

t is, whe the r " any

re a sona ble a d judic ator would bec om

pe lle d to c onc lude to thec ontra ry , " M iranda Alva

ra do v. Gonz a le s, 449 F.3d 915, 920, 930 (9th C i r. 2006) (quoting 8 U.S.C . § 1252(b)(4)(B )), we de ny the pe tition. 1. Substa ntia l e v ide nc e supporte d the infe re nc e tha t Pe titione r m ay

have a ssiste d in pe rse c ution, ge noc ide , or e xtra judic ia l killings during the B osnia n W ar. Se e B udiono v. Ly

nc h, 837 F.3d 1042, 1048 (9th C ir. 2016) (holding tha t the gove rnm e nt m e e ts its initia l burde n unde r the " pe rse c ution ba r . . . whe n the
e vide nc e is ‘ suffic ie nt to ra ise the infe re nc e tha t’ the ba r a pplie s " (quoting M iranda Alva ra do, 449 F.3d a

t 930)). R e c ords from

the B osnia

n Se rb Arm

y (" VR S" ) and te stim ony from the gove rnm e nt’ s e xpe rt linke d Pe titione r or his unit to pe rse c ution, ge noc ide , or e xtra judic ia l killings. 2 Pe titione r’ s pe rsona l involve m e nt,

1 B e c a use Pe titione r did not a ddre ss the B IA’ s de nia l of his re que st for c anc e lla tion of re m ova l , va

rious wa ive rs, a

nd prote c tion under the C onve ntion Aga inst Torture , he forfe ite d thoseissue s on a ppe a l. Se e R iz k

v. Holde r, 629 F.3d 1083, 1091 n.3 (9th C ir. 2011) (holding tha t issue s not ra ise d in a

pe t itione r’ s ope ning brie f are forfe i te d).

2 B e c a use the re c ord c onta ins m ore tha n e nough e v i de nc e to ra i se the infe re n c e tha

t the pe rse c ut ion ba

r m ay a pply , we ne e d not c onside r whe the r the B IA and im

m igration judge(" IJ" ) pe rm issibly c ite d Pe titione r’ s a

ppa re nt a dm ission to im

m i gration a

uthoritie s tha

t he tra nsporte d B osnia

ks to jail. 2thus, wa s " a c tive " be c a use his unit (1) pla

nne d to a m bush a fle e ing c olum

n of B osnia ks; (2) e nga ge d in a

subse que nt fire fight to bloc k tha t c olum n’ s e sc a pe from the V R S’ s te rritory ; a

nd (3) pa trolle d the fore s t for stra ggle rs with orders to shoot the m on sight—a ll of whic h

" we nt be y ond m e re m e m be rship" in theVR S. M iranda Alva ra do, 449 F.3d a

t 928. Tha

t involve m e nt a lso c o nstitute d " purpose ful
a ssista nc e " be c a use it wa s not ta

nge ntia l, but ra

the r wa s " i nte g ra l to thepe rse c ution that oc c urre d." Kum ar v. Holde r, 728 F.3d 993, 998–99 (9th C i r. 2013) (e m pha sis
om i tte d). Eve n if a re a sona b le a djudic at or c ould find tha t Pe titione r m a inta i ne d his
rank in a unit e nga ge d in pe rse c ution without ta k ing pa rt or knowing wha

t wa s a foot, thee vide nc e doe s not c om pe l tha t c onc lusion. Se e 8 U.S.C . § 1252(b)(4)(B ) (providing tha

t the IJ’ s " findings of fa c t a re c o nc lusiveunle s s a

ny re a sona ble
a djudic ator would bec om pe lle d to c onc lude to thec ontra ry " ). 2. The B IA pe rm issibly de te rm ine d tha t Pe titione r did not show, by a pre p onde ranc e of the e vide nc e , tha t he did not enga ge in pe rse c ution, ge n oc ide , or e xtra judic ia l killings. Se e M i randa Alva ra do, 449 F.3d a

t 930 (holding tha

t if the gove rnm e nt ra i se s a

n infe re nc e tha

t the pe rse c ution ba

r c ould a pply , the burde n shifts to the

a pplic ant to provetha

t it doe s not); se e a lso 8 C .F.R . § 1240.8(d). Pe titione r offe re d only

his own te stim ony

to re but the gove rnm e nt’ s c a se , a n d substa ntia l e vide nc e supports the IJ’ s a dve rse c re dibility

finding. A re a sona

ble 3a djudic ator c ould find tha t Pe titione r is not c re dible be c a u se , am ong othe r things, he wa s c onvic te d of ly ing a bout his servic e in theVR S to obta in a sy lum . Se e R iz k, 629 F.3d a

t 1088 (holding tha

t " we m ust uphold the

IJ’ s a dve rse c re dibility de te rm i nation so long a s e ve n one ba sis is supporte d by substa ntia l e vide nc e " ). Nor would a

re a sona ble a djudic ator be " c om

p e lle d," 8 U.S.C
. § 1252(b)(4)(B ), to a c c e pt Pe titione r’ s e xpla nat ions of his where a

bouts during the
war a s pla

usible . Pe titione r’ s a

rgum e nt tha

t his c a s e re s e m

ble s Kum ar, in whic h a

n offic e r in a

n India n polic e forc e witne sse d a

nd prote ste d the torture of those
se e k ing to c re ate a

se pa rate , Sikh c ountry , is m ispla c e d. 728 F.3d a t 995–96. He re , a re a sona ble a djudic ator c ould find tha t Pe t itione r wa s le ss tha

n forthc om ing whe n he a c knowle dge d his pre se nc e at the site of pe rse c utory a c ts, y e t m a inta ine d that he wa s una

ware tha t thosea c ts we re oc c urring. 3. Pe titione r’ s a

rgum e nt tha

t his a c tions we re de fe nsive and m e re ly re late d to c i vil strifeis not via

b l e on the se fa c ts. Assuming, without de c iding, tha t Pe titione r’ s c ha

ra c te riz at ion is a c c urate for som e of his a c tions, " w ide -spre a d viole nc e and de te ntion c a nnot ove rride re c ord e vide n c e tha t pe rse c ution oc c urre d
at le a st in pa

rt a s a re sult of [thevic tim s’ ] prote c te d sta tus." M iranda

Alva ra do, 449 F.3d a

t 931 (interna l quota

tion m arks om i tte d). PE T IT IO N DE NIE D. 4