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 L AU R A A R Z UMAN YA N, 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. 05- 73808 A ge nc yN o. A 096- 353- 083 ME MOR AN DU M *

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ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng, a nd pr ot e c t i on unde rthe C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT ortur e ( “ C A T ” ) . W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on u n d e r8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 . T h e B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls ( “B I A ” ) u s e d its s um m a ry a f

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J u d g e ( “I J ” ) . P er ezv. Mukasey , 516 F . 3d 770, 773 ( 9th C i r . 2008) . W e r e vi e w the a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n f o rs u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e , So to-O larte v . H older , 5 5 5 F . 3 d 1 0 8 9 , 1 0 9 1 (9 th C i r. 2 0 0 9 ), an d ap p l y p re-R E A L ID A ctst an d ard s, be c aus e A r z um any a n’ s a s y l um appl i c a t i on w a s f i l e d pr i ort o the A c t ’ s e f f e c t i ve d a te , se e Si nh a v. H

older , 564 F . 3d 1015, 1021 n. 3 ( 9th C i r . 2009) . W e gr a ntthe pe t i t i on f orr e vi e w a nd r e m a nd. T he I Jc i t e d num e r ous gr ounds f orf i ndi ng A r z um a ny a n i nc r e di bl e , none of w h ic h s u p p o rts a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n . Se e Ka u rv . A s h c r o ft , 379 F . 3d 876, 890 ( 9th C i r . 2004) ( “ [ W ] he n e a c h of the I J ’ s orB I A ’ s pr of

f e r e d r e a s ons for an adv er se cr edi bi l i ty f i nd i ng fa i l s, w e m ustac ce pta pet i t i on er ’ s t es t i m on y a s cr edi bl e. ”) . F i rs t , the IJ ’ s c on cl usi on thatA rz um anyan w as “ un abl e t o art i cul at e a p o litic a l o p in io n ” f

o rw h ic h s h e w a s b e a te n r e lie s o n f la w e d r e a s o n in g . See G uiv. I NS , 28 0 F . 3d 12 17 , 12 25 (9th C i r. 20 02 ). T o the ext entthe IJ ’ s c on cl usi on re l at es to th e a sy lu m statu te’s n ex u s r eq u irem en t, itd o es n o t m atter w h at A rz u m an ya n ’s ac tual op i ni on s w er e, because i ti s c l ear f rom the re cord thatthe go vernm entac t ors w ho be a tA r z um a ny a n pe r c e i ve d he ra s ha vi ng vi e w s i n oppos i t i on t o the g o v e rn m e n t’s p o lic ie s . Se e, e . g. , Ag b u y a v . I NS , 24 1 F . 3d 12 24 , 12 29 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 1 ) ( “[O ]u r a n alys is fo cu se s o n h o w th e p er se cu to r p er ce iv ed th e ap p li ca n t’ s3

ac ti o n s a n d alleg ian ce s, an d w h at m o ti v ated th eir ab u se .”). T o th e e x ten t th e I J’s concl usi on re l at es t o the cr edi bi l i ty of A rz um anyan’ s t es t i m on y thatshe w as i nvol ve d i n pol i t i c s , A r z um a ny a n t e s t i f i e d c ons i s t e nt l ya s t o the ge ne r a l goa l s of the Y oung A rm e ni a n B us i ne s s m e n S upportC e nt e r( “ Y A B S C ” ) a nd the de m ons tr a t i ons s he a tt e nde d, a nd s he a l s o de s c r i be d he roppos i t i on t o the gove rnm e nt ’ s a c t i ons w i th r e s pe c tt o the c hi l dr e n’ s l i br a ry . T he I J ’ s c onc l us i on th a tA r z u ma n y a n ’ s i n v o l v e me n ti n th e Y A BSC i s i nc ons i s t e ntw i th he rs upportof th e lib r a ry is b a s e d o n s p e c u la tio n . Se e Sh a h v . I NS , 22 0 F . 3d 10 62 , 10 71 (9th C i r. 20 00 ). S e c ond, the I J ’ s c onc l us i on tha tA r z um a ny a n w a s notc r e di bl e be c aus e s he u sed th e p ro n o u n “ w e” i n st ead o f “ I” m i sco n stru es th e reco rd . A rzu m an yan ’ s u se of the pl ur a l pr onoun t o r e f e rt o he ra c t i vi t i e s w i th othe r s i s nota“ c oge ntr e a s on for any st at ed di sbel i ef

. ” G ui , 280 F . 3d a t1225. I n a ddi t i on, A r z um a ny a n di d not r e pe a t e dl y c ha nge he rs t ory r e ga r di ng w ha ts he di d he r s e l f a nd w i th othe r s . F or e xa m pl e , c ontr a ry t o w ha tthe I Jnot e d, A r z um a ny a n ne ve rt e s t i f i e d tha tthe lib r a ry ’s d ir e c to rw e n t w ith h e rto m a k e in itia l c o m p la in ts to p o litic a l p a rtie s . See P a r a m a s a myv . A s h c r o

ft , 2 9 5 F .3 d 1 0 4 7 , 1 0 5 2 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 2 ) ( re jectin g th e B IA ’s re l i ance on “ perc ei ved i ncon si st enci es no tbase d o n the evi dence”) .4

T hi r d, the i nc ons i s t e nc y be tw e e n A r z um a ny a n’ s a s y l um appl i c a t i on a nd te s tim o n y r e g a r d in g th e n u m b e ro f tim e s A r z u m a n y a n w a s b e a te n w h ile in d eten ti o n ca n n o t su p p o rt th e a d v er se cr ed ib il ity d eter m in atio n . A rz u m an ya n ’s te s tim o n y w a s n o t a n a tte m p t to e n h a n c e h e rc la im o f p e r s e c u tio n , se e Si ng h v. A s h c r o ft , 362 F . 3d 1164, 1171 ( 9th C i r . 2004) , a nd the i nc ons i s t e nc yw a s not a c c om pa ni e d by “ othe ri ndi c a t i ons of di s hone s ty– s uc h a s apa tt e rn of c l e a ra nd pervas i ve i ncon si st encyor contra di ct i on , ” Kau r v . G on zales , 418 F . 3d 1061, 1067 (9th C i r. 20 05 ). T h e r e m a in in g g r o u n d s f o rth e a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n a ls o f a il. T he IJnever gave A rz um anyan an o pp ortun i ty t o exp l ai n the perce i ved i n c o n s i s t e n c y b e twe e n h e rt e s t i m o n yth a ts h e wa s o u t s p o k e n r e g a r d i n g h e rv i e ws and thatshe w rot e art i cl es un der an ass um ed nam e. Se e, e . g. , D on v. G on zales , 47 6 F . 3d 73 8, 74 1 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). T h e I J ’s s p e c u la tio n th a t A r z u m a n y a n s h o u ld have been fi re d f

r o m h e rjo b h a s n o b a s is in th e r e c o r d . L iv. H older , 559 F . 3d 1096, 1102 ( 9th C i r . 2009) . T he da t e of A r z um a ny a n’ s di vor c e doe s notgo t o the h e a rt o f th e c la im , b u t if

it d id , th e I Jd id n o t g iv e A r z u m a n y a n a n a d e q u a te o p p o rtu n ityto e x p la in th e d a te o n th e d iv o r c e c e rtif ic a te . Se e So to - O la r te , 555 F . 3d a t 1091.5

T he I Ja l s o e rr e d i n r e l y i ng on A r z um a ny a n’ s doc um e nt s a s aba s i s f orthe cr edi bi l i ty det erm i nat i on and faul t i ng A rz um anyan for fa i l i ng t o p rovi de other c orr obor a t i ng e vi de nc e . W hi l e s om e of A r z um a ny a n’ s doc um e nt s a r e nothe l pf ul t o the m e r i t s of

the c l a i m , f

ore xa m pl e , a n a rt i c l e A r z um a ny a n w r ot e a f t e rc om i ng t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s a nd he rs on’ s m e di c a l r e c or ds , the s e doc um e nt s do notbe a ron cr edi bi l i ty. “ [W ] here the basi s f or an adverse cr edi bi l i ty f i nd i ng fa l l s out , the l ac k of corr ob orat i ng evi dence cann otbackst op the deci si on . ” C osa v. Mukasey , 543 F . 3d 10 66 , 10 70 -71 (9th C i r. 20 08 ). In addi t i on , the IJ ’ s a ss um pt i on that A r z um a ny a n s houl d ha ve pr ovi de d c e rt a i n othe rdoc um e nt s ha s no ba s i s i n the re cord. F or exam pl e, the IJfaul t ed A rz um anyan for no tprov i di ng m edi ca l doc um e nt a t i on of

apa rt i c ul a rbe a t i ng, butA r z um a ny a n t e s t i f i e d tha ts he di d not se ek m edi ca l att ent i on af t erthatbeat i ng . F i nal l y, the IJi m prop er l y dre w an ad v erse i n feren ce fro m A rzu m an yan ’ s fai l u re t o cal l h er d au g h t er as a w i tn ess, b e c au s e th e I Jh a d n o r e a s o n to q u e s tio n A r z u m a n y a n ’s c r e d ib ility . See Si dh u v. I NS , 22 0 F . 3d 10 85 , 10 92 (9th C i r. 20 00 ). B ec ause the IJ ’ s a dv er se cr edi bi l i ty f i nd i ng w as no tsupp ort ed by subst ant i al evi dence, w e G R A N T the pet i t i on and R E M A N D t o the B IA for f urther proceedi ng s t o d et erm i ne w hether, ac ce pt i ng A rz um anyan’ s t es t i m on y a s c re di bl e,A r z um a ny a n f a i l e d t o e xhaus the rC A T c l a i m , s o thi s c ourtl a c ks 1 ju r is d ic tio n to r e v ie w it. Zh a n gv . A s h c r o ft , 38 8 F . 3d 71 3, 72 1 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). 6 s h e is e lig ib le f

o ra s y lu m a n d /o rw ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l. Se e, e . g. , Si ng h v.

1 G on zales , 43 9 F . 3d 11 00 , 11 13 (9th C i r. 20 06 ). P E T I T I ON F OR RE V I E W I S GR AN T E D A ND RE MAND E D.