FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT March 19, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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. 07- 12057 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N o. A 96- 110- 849 A N N E L A A D A M S O N , 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

_________________________ ( M ar c h 19, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , M A R C U S an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A nn el a A dam son, a nat i ve and ci t i ze n o f E st on i a, se eks r evi ew of the B oard2

o f Im m i g rat i o n A p p eal s’ s (B IA ) d eci si o n , affi rm i n g th e i m m i g rat i o n j u d g e’ s (IJ) deni al of her app l i ca t i on for w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al and rel i ef un der the U ni t ed N a t i ons C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT or tur e a nd O the rC rue l , I nhum a n orD e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntorP uni s hm e nt( C A T ) . T he c our t s be l ow f ound tha ts he di d not e s tab lis h an e x u s b e tw e e n h e rp a s t p e r s e c u tio n , o rf e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n if re turned t o E st on i a, and a prot ec t ed grou nd for r el i ef , or thather a l l eged t orture w a s c onduc t e d w i th the a c qui e s c e nc e of the gove rnm e nt . I n E s t oni a , A da m s on w as a pol i ce i nv es t i gat or pri or t o h erconv i ct i on as an ac com pl i ce i n h erthen f i a n c é ’ s e mb e z z l e me n to f f u n d s f r o m ac o mp a n y ru n b y l o c a l o r g a n i z e d c r i me m e m be r s . F ol l ow i ng the e m be z z l e m e nt , A da m s on w a s ki dnape d, be a t e n, a nd th r e a te n e d b y m a f

iam e m b e r s s e e k in g th e r e tu rn o f th e m is s in g f

u n d s . O n app ea l , A dam son argues thatshe i s e nt i t l ed t o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al because s he i s am em ber of apart i cul arsoci al grou p – w hi st l e- bl ow i ng po l i ce of f i c e r s w ho e xpos e gove rnm e ntc orrupt i on – a nd tha ts he e s t abl i s he d ane xus b e tw e e n th is s ta tu s a n d h e rp e r s e c u tio n .

“ [W e] re vi ew [] adm i ni stra t i ve fa ctfi nd i ng s und erthe hi gh l y def er ent i al s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e t e s t , ” w hi c h r e qui r e s tha tthe r e c or d e vi de nc e be vi e w e d i n the l i ghtm os tf

a vor abl e t o the a ge nc y ’ s de c i s i on. A de f e m i v. A s hc r of

t , 386 F . 3d 1022, 1026- 27 ( 11th C i r . 2004) ( e n ba nc ) . “ T o c onc l ude tha tthe B I A ’ s de c i s i on s houl d be r e ve r s e d, w e m us tf i nd tha tthe r e c or d notonl y s uppor t s the c onc l us i on,3

bu tcom pel s i t . ” N i ft al i ev v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 50 4 F . 3d 12 11 , 12 15 (11th C i r. 20 07 ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on s a nd ci t at i on om i tt ed). “ [T ] he m er e f ac tthatthe re cord m a y s u p p o r t ac o n tr a ry c o n c lu s io n is n o t e n o u g h .” A d e f e m i, 3 5 6 F .3 d a t 1 0 2 7 . W e l a c k j ur i s di c t i on t o c ons i de ra n i s s ue tha tw a s notr a i s e d be f or e the B I A , a nd w e o n ly re v iew th e B IA ’s d ec isio n , u n less th e B IA ex p re ss ly ad o p ted th e I J’s deci si on . R ui z v. G on za l es , 47 9 F . 3d 76 2, 76 5 (11 th C i r. 20 07 ); F ernand ez -B ernal v. A tt ’ y G e n. of

U . S . , 257 F . 3d 1304, 1317 n. 13 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . “ I ns of a ra s the [ B I A] a d o p t s th e I J ’ s r e a s o n i n g , we wi l l r e v i e w th e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n a s we l l . ” Al N a jj a rv. A s c hr of

t , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1284 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . A n i s s ue nota r gue d i n a p e titio n e r ’s in itia l b r ie f

b e f o r e u s is ab a n d o n e d . I d . a t 1 2 8 3 n .1 2 .

“ T o o bt ai n w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , an appl i ca ntm ustes t abl i sh thather ‘ l i fe orf r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d i n tha tc ountry be c a us e of [ he r ] r a c e , r e l i gi on, na t i ona l i ty , m e m be r s hi p i n apa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, orpol i t i c a l opi ni on. ’ ” T a n v. U . S. A tt ’ y G e n . , 4 4 6 F. 3 d 1 3 6 9 , 1 3 7 5 ( 1 1 th Ci r . 2 0 0 6 ) ( q u o t i n g 8 U . S. C. § 1 23 1(b)(3)(A )) . T he bu rden of proo f i s on the al i en t o sho w thati ti s “ m ore l i ke l y tha n not ” tha t , upon r e turn t o he rc ountry , s he w i l l be pe r s e c ut e d. I d. I f the a l i e n de m ons tr a t e s tha tthe pa s tpe r s e c ut i on w a s , a tl e a s ti n pa r t , ba s e d on a pr ot e c t e d gr ound, “ ar e butt abl e pr e s um pt i on a r i s e s tha ts he ha s aw e l l - f ounde d of f utur e pe r s e c ut i on, a nd the bur de n the n s hi f t s t o the D e pa r tm e ntof

H om e l a nd S ec uri ty t o sho w thatthe cond i t i on s i n the coun tryhave changed.” Id. A n al i en4

m us tde m ons tr a t e ane xus be tw e e n he rpa s tpe r s e c ut i on a nd one of the f i ve prot ec t ed grou nd s, no tj ustthatshe w as pers ec ut ed for notcoop er at i ng w i th h er p e r s e c u to r s . S e e S a n c h e z v . U .S . A tt’y G e n ., 3 9 2 F .3 d 4 3 4 , 4 3 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . T he B IA has def

i ned “ pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al grou p” as “ pers ec ut i on thati s di re ct ed t ow ar d an i nd i vi du al w ho i s am em ber of a grou p o f per sons al l of w ho m shar e acom m on , i m m ut abl e c hara ct er i st i c . . . that e ith e ris b e y o n d th e p o w e ro f a n in d iv id u a l to c h a n g e o rth a t is s o f u n d a m e n ta l to hi s i de nt i ty orc ons c i e nc e tha ti toughtnotbe r e qui r e d t o be c ha nge d. ” M a tt e rof A c os t a , 19 I . & N . D e c . 211, 233- 34 ( B I A 1985) , ove rrul e d on othe rgr ounds by M a tt e rof

M ogha rr abi , 19 I . & N . D e c . 439 ( B I A 1987) ; s e e a l s o C a s t i l l o- A r i a s v. U . S . A tt ' y G e n. , 446 F . 3d 1190, 1196- 97 ( 11th C i r . 2006) ( f i ndi ng thi s de f

i ni t i on r e a s o n ab le ) , c e r t. d e n ie d , 1 2 7 S .C t. 9 7 7 , 1 6 6 L .E d .2 d 7 0 9 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . S u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s u p p o r ts th e B I A ’s c o n c lu s io n th a t A d a m s o n f a ile d to s h o w an e x u s b e twe e n h e rp e r s e c u t i o n a n d ap r o t e c t e d g r o u n d , a s h e ro wn t e s t i m ony w a s tha tthe ki dnapi ngs , be a t i ngs , a nd thr e a t s w e r e r e l a t e d t o the m i s s i ng m o n e y , a n d n o t h e rp o s itio n a s ap o lic e in v e s tig a to r . A dam son n extar gu es thatshe pre se nt ed subst ant i al evi dence thati ti s m ore l i ke l y tha n nottha ts he w i l l be t or tur e d i f s he i s r e turne d t o E s t oni a . “ T o be e lig ib le f o rr e lie f u n d e rth e C A T , a n ap p lic a n t m u s t e s tab lis h ‘th a t it is m o r e lik e ly tha n nottha the ors he w oul d be t or tur e d i f r e m ove d t o the pr opos e d c ountry of5

re m ov al . ’ ” S anchez J i m enez v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 49 2 F . 3d 12 23 , 12 39 (11th C i r. 2007) ( quot i ng 8 C . F . R . § 208. 16( c ) ( 2) ) . T he a ge nc y m us tc ons i de ra l l r e l e va nt e vi de nc e w he n m a ki ng i t s a s s e s s m e ntof w he the ri ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nottha tthe ap p l i c a n tw i l l b e t o r tu r e d i f r e tu rn e d t o h e rh o me c o u n try . 8 C. F. R. § 1 2 0 8 . 1 6 (c)(3 ). S u ch ev i d en ce i n cl u d es, b u ti s n o tl i m i t ed t o , ev i d en ce o f p ast p e r s e c u tio n a n d in f

o rm a tio n r e g a r d in g th e c o n d itio n s in th e c o u n try o f r e m o v a l. Id . § 1 2 0 8 . 1 6 (c)(3 )(i ), (i v ). T h e reg u l at i o n s d efi n e “ t o rtu re” as: a n y a c t b y w h ic h s e v e r e p a in o rs u f f e r in g , w h e th e rp h y s ic a l o rm e n ta l, i s i nt e nt i ona l l y i nf

l i c t e d on ape r s on f

ors uc h purpos e s a s obt a i ni ng f r om hi m orhe rorathi r d pe r s on i nf orm a t i on orac onf

e s s i on, pu ni shi ng hi m or her f

or an acthe or she or a thi rd pers on has c om m i tt e d ori s s us pe c t e d of ha vi ng c om m i tt e d, ori nt i m i da t i ng or c oe r c i ng hi m orhe rorathi r d pe r s on, orf ora ny r e a s on ba s e d on di s c r i m i na t i on of

a ny ki nd, w he n s uc h pa i n ors uf f e r i ng i s i nf

l i c t e d by o ra t th e in s tig a tio n o f

o rw ith th e c o n s e n t o ra c q u ie s c e n c e o f ap u b lic o f f ic ia l o ro th e rp e r s o n a c tin g in a n o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity . . . . [ T o r tu r e ] is a n e xtr e m e f

orm of c rue l a nd i nhum a n tr e a tm e nta nd doe s noti nc l ude le s s e rf o rm s o f c ru e l, in h u m a n o rd e g r a d in g tr e a tm e n t o rp u n is h m e n t .

. . . To r tu r e d o e s n o ti n c l u d e p a i n o rs u f f e r i n g a r i s i n g o n l y f

r o m, i n h eren ti n o r i n ci d en t al t o l aw fu l san ct i o n s. 8 C .F .R . § 1 2 0 8 .1 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) - ( 3 ) . “A c q u ie s c e n c e o f

ap u b lic o f

f ic ia l r e q u ir e s th a t th e p u b lic o f f ic ia l, p r io rto the ac t i vi ty c on st i tut i ng t orture, have aw ar enes s of s uch act i vi ty a nd there af t er br e a c h hi s orhe rl e ga l r e s pons i bi l i ty t o i nt e rve ne t o pr e ve nts uc h a c t i vi ty . ” I d. § 208. 18( a ) ( 7) . W e ha ve a f f i rm e d the B I A ’ s f

i ndi ng tha tagove rnm e ntdoe s not a c q u ie s c e to to r tu r e w h e r e th e g o v e rn m e n t “a c tiv e ly , a lb e it n o t e n tir e ly6

s u c c e s s f u lly , c o m b a ts ” ille g a l a c tiv itie s , a n d w e h a v e h e ld th a t th e I J m a y “r e ly h e a v ily ” o n r e p o r ts p r e p a r e d b y th e U .S . D e p a r tm e n t o f S ta te a d m itte d in to ev i d en ce w h en d et erm i n i n g w h eth er th e g o v ern m en ti s co m b at i n g p ri v at e act o rs’ ille g a l a c tiv itie s . R e y e s - S a n c h e z v . U .S . A tt'y G e n ., 3 6 9 F .3 d 1 2 3 9 , 1 2 4 3 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( q u o ta tio n m a rk s o m itte d ) . W e h a v e h e ld th a t th e B I A ’s d e te rm in a tio n th a t b e a tin g a n ap p lic a n t w ith f is ts , s tic k s a n db e lts d id n o t r is e to th e le v e l o f to r tu r e , b u t “v ic io u s a n d d e lib e r a te a c ts , s u c h a s b u rn in g w ith c ig a r e tte s , c h o k in g , h o o d in g , k a lo t m a r a s s a , a n d e le c tr ic shock” do const i tut e t orture. C adetv. B ul ger, 37 7 F . 3d 11 73 , 11 94 -95 (11 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ) . W e a ls o h a v e d e te rm in e d th a t ap a tte rn o f th r e a te n in g p h o n e c a lls is i ns uf f i c i e ntt o e s t abl i s h t or tur e . S a nc he z v. U ni t e d S t a t e s A tt ' y G e n. , 392 F . 3d 434, 4 3 6 , 4 3 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s uppor t s the a ge nc y ’ s de c i s i on tha tthe r e c or d doe s not supp orta f

i nd i ng thati ti s “ m ore l i kel y than n ot ” thatA dam son w i l l be t ortured w i th the a c qui e s c e nc e of the gove rnm e nti f

s he i s r e turne d t o E s t oni a . B a s e d on h e rte s tim o n y , it d o e s n o t ap p e a rth a t A d a m s o n w a s to r tu r e d w h e n s h e w a s in E s t oni a . E ve n a s s um i ng tha ts he w a s t or tur e d w hi l e the r e , the D e pa r tm e ntof S t at e’ s 200 3 C ou ntryR eporton H um an R i gh tP ra ct i ce s i n E st on i a s t at es that t o rtu re i s ag ai n stth e l aw , an d th e g o v ern m en tp ro secu t es o ffi ci al s w h o u se e x c e s s iv e f

o r c e . T h e r e p o r t a ls o s ta te s th a t c o rru p tio n a m o n g th e p o lic e isAdamson’s re quest for oral argument is denied. 1 7 ge ne r a l l y notapr obl e m , a nd the f a c ttha tE s t oni apr os e c ut e s pol i c e f orus i ng e xc e s s i ve f

or c e s uppor t s the f

i ndi ng tha tthe gove rnm e ntdoe s nota c qui e s c e i n the us e of t or tur e . T he a ge nc y w a s e nt i t l e d t o r e l y he a vi l y upon thi s r e por ta nd c o u p le d w ith A d a m s o n ’s a d m is s io n th a t it w a s u n lik e ly a n y th in g w o u ld h ap p e n to her i f s he di d n otatt ac k h erform ersupervi sors i n the m edi a, w e hol d thatshe has notm e the rbur de n of

s how i ng tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nottha ts he w i l l be t ortured by the go vernm entup on her r eturn t o E st on i a. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D. 1