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 by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e L i ndaR . R e a de , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tC ourtJ udge f or ** * the N orthe rn D i s tr i c tof I ow a , s i tt i ng byde s i gna t i on.

1 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 J AS VI R S I NG H, P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J R ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 06- 71271 A ge nc yN o. A 098- 505- 059 ME MOR AN DU M *

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I mmi g r a t i o n A p p e a l s ( “ BI A ” ) , d i s mi s s i n g h i s ap p e a l f r o m a de c i s i on bythe I m m i gr a t i on J udge ( “ I J ” ) . T he I Jde ni e d S i ngh’ s appl i c a t i ons f or a s y lu m , w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l, a n dr e lie f

u n d e rth e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e . S i ng h t es t i fi ed he w as j ai l ed and b ea t en i n 1 99 3 b ec ause the Indi an po l i ce suspec t ed he and h i s f

ri end w er e harbo ri ng and sup po rt i ng m i l i t ant s, and that d u r in g th e f

o llo w in g e le v e n y e a r s , th e I n d ia n p o lic e s e a r c h e df o rh im in I n d iau n til h e c a m e to th e U n ite dS ta te s in 2 0 0 4 .

“ Wh e r e , a s h e r e , th e B I A a d o p t s th e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n wh i l e a d d i n g i t s o wn re as on s, w e r evi ew bo th d ec i si on s. ” Ka ta r i a v . I NS , 23 2 F . 3d 11 07 , 11 12 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 0 ) . W e r e v ie w th e a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g f o rs u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . L iv. A s h c r o ft , 37 8 F . 3d 95 9, 96 2 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). T he subst ant i al evi dence s t andard s e t s ahi gh ba rf

orr e ve r s i ng the B I A ’ s de c i s i on: “ [ T ] he a dm i ni s tr a t i ve f i ndi ngs of f a c t a r e c o n c lu s iv e u n le s s a n yr e a s o n ab le a d ju d ic a to rw o u ldb e c o m p e lle dto c o n c lu d e to th e c o n tr a ry .” 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 ( b ) ( 4 ) ( B ) ; Ch e c h o u b v . I NS , 257 F . 3d 10 38 , 10 43 (9th C i r. 20 01 ). T he i m pl aus i bi l i tyof

t e s t i m onyc a n be apr ope rba s i s f orf i ndi ng tha tthe t e s t i m onyi s i nhe r e nt l yunbe l i e vabl e i f the I J ’ s l ogi c a l i nf

e r e nc e s a r e s upport e d by s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . See D on v. G on zales , 476 F . 3d 738, 743 ( 9th C i r . 2007)3

( hol di ng s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport e d the I J ’ s f i ndi ng tha tpe t i t i one r ’ s f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on bythe pol i c e w a s i m pl aus i bl e w he r e pe t i t i one rha d r e l a t i ve s i n the po l i ce departm ent , had report ed threa t s t o the po l i ce and h ad re peat ed, vo l un t ary i nt er ac t i on s w i th the po l i ce ). T h e r ec o rd co n tain s s u b stan ti al ev id en ce su p p o rtin g th e B IA ’s an dIJ ’s advers e c re di bi l i ty f

i nd i ng . S i ng h t es t i fi ed he w as abl e t o l i ve i n Ind i a s af el y, fr ee of ha r a s s m e nt , f

ore l e ve n y e a r s f

ol l ow i ng hi s a rr e s t , w hi l e ope nl yw orki ng f orthe A k a li D a l M a n n p o litic a l p a rtys e e k in g a n in d e p e n d e n t S ik h s ta te . T h is b e lie s h is cl ai m th ath e co u l dn o trel o cat e an yw h ere i n In d i a safel y. S i ngh a l s o t e s t i f

i e d tha tf r om the t i m e of

hi s de t e nt i on i n 1993 unt i l the h e a r in g in 2 0 0 4 , th e I n d ia n p o lic e c o n tin u e dto h a r a s s h is w if e b yc o m in g to h is ho use one t o tw o t i m es a m on th t o l oo k for hi m , and b y det ai ni ng her i n 2 00 3. Y et n o n e o f th e a f f id a v its f r o m S in g h ’s r e la tiv e s , f r ie n d s a n dn e ig h b o r s , in c lu d in g h is w if e , m e n tio n e dth e s e th in g s . S in g h te s tif

ie dth e p o lic e a rr e s te dh im in 1 9 9 3 b e c au s e th e ys u s p e c te dh im of ha rbor i ng a nd s upport i ng a rm e d m i l i t a nt s . H e a l s o t e s t i f i e d he f l e d be c aus e he d i dn o tw an tth e p o l i ce t o b e an g ry w i th h i m fo r n o tt est i fyi n g ag ai n stth e m i l i t an t s, n o rd i dh e wan tth e m i l i t a n t s t o b e a n g rywi th h i m f o rt e s t i f y i n g a g a i n s tth e m . He d idn o t te s tif

yth a t h e w a s a rr e s te db e c au s e h e w a s aS ik h , n o rb e c au s e o f h is4

m em bers hi p i n the D al M ann p ol i t i ca l party, w hi ch he w as no teven a m em ber of a t the t i m e of hi s arr es t . A n arr es ti n con nect i on w i th the i nv es t i gat i on of cr i m i nal a c t i v i tyi s n o tap r o t e c t e dg r o u n df o ra s y l u m o rw i th h o l d i n g o f r e mo v a l . 8 U . S. C. § 1 10 1(a) (42)(A ). F u rth e rm o r e , ap e titio n e rd o e s n o t h a v e aw e ll- f o u n d e df e a ro f p e r s e c u tio n if h e c a n a v o i dp e r s e c u t i o n b yr e l o c a t i n g t o a n o th e rp a rto f th e p e t i t i o n e r ’ s h o me c ountry , i f

unde ra l l the c i r c um s t a nc e s i tw oul d be r e a s onabl e t o e xpe c tthe pet i t i on ert o d o so. 8 C . F . R . § 1 20 8. 13 (b)( 2)(i i ). H er e, S i ng h w as abl e t o l i ve fr ee f r o m p e r s e c u tio n in a n o th e rto w n in I n d iaf o re le v e n y e a r s . F i na l l y , the I Jf

ound tha tthe gove rnm e ntha d m e ti t s bur de n t o pr ove S i ngh w oul d notbe pe r s e c ut e d f ora nyr e a s on i f

he r e turne d be c aus e c ountryc ondi t i ons had chang ed. 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 13 (b)( 1). P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.