FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT June 13, 2008 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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- 14666 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 98- 677- 704 & A 98- 677- 705 K A R E N P A P Y A N , G O A R N I K O G O S Y A N , P e titio n e r s , 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

_________________________ ( Ju n e 13, 2008) B efo re T JO F L A T , D U B IN A an d B L A C K , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: P e t i t i one rK a r e n P apy a n ( “ P apy a n” ) , ac i t i z e n of R us s i aa nd na t i ve of2

A rm e n ia( w h ic h w a s p a rt o f th e U .S .S .R . a t th e tim e o f P ap y a n ’s b irth ) , w ith h is w i f e G oa rN i kogos y a n a s r i de r, pe t i t i ons thi s C ourtf orr e vi e w of

the B oa r d of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s’ s ( “ B IA ”) af fi rm ance of the Im m i grat i on Judg e’ s ( “ IJ ”) de ni a l of a s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N at i o n al i ty A ct(“ IN A ”), an d rel i ef u n d er th e U n i t ed N at i o n s C o n v en t i o n A g ai n st T ortur 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 ”) , IN A § 2 08 , 8 U . S . C . § 1 23 1; 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 16 (c ). W e pr e vi ous l y i s s ue d aj ur i s di c t i ona l que s t i on t o the pa rt i e s r e ga r di ng the pr ope rve nue f

orP apy a n’ s pe t i t i on. W i th the be ne f i tof the f ul l a dm i ni s tr a t i ve r e c o r d , w e c o n c lu d e th a t th e im m ig r a tio n p r o c e e d in g s b e lo w o c c u rr e d in M ia m i, F lo r id a , a n d w e d o h a v e ju r is d ic tio n to c o n s id e rth e in s ta n t p e titio n . See I NA § 2 4 2 ( b ) ( 2 ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 ( b ) ( 2 ) ; D ai l i de v . U ni te d State s A t t ’

yG e n. , 387 F . 3d 13 35 , 13 40 n. 7 (11 th C i r. 20 04 ). P apy a n a r gue s tha tthe I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on w a s ba s e d on the faul ty e thn ocentri c vi ew thatthe l evel of corrup t i on t es t i fi ed t o b y P apyan w as im p lau s ib le . P ap y a n n o te s th a t h e p r o v id e d e v id e n c e a n d c o u n try r e p o rts to supp ortthe pl ausi bi l i ty of hi s c l ai m and ass ert s thatthe IJ ’ s c re di bi l i ty rul i ng w as base d o n m er e c on

j ec ture. W he n the B I A i s s ue s ade c i s i on w i th a n opi ni on, w e r e vi e w tha tde c i s i on, e x c e p t to th e e x te n t th a t th e B I A e x p r e s s lya d o p ts th e I J ’s d e c is io n . A l N a j j a r v .3

A s h c ro ft , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1284 ( 1 1th C i r . 2001) . H e r e , the B I A i s s ue d a n opi ni on th at d idn o t ex p re ss ly ad o p t th e I J’s d ec isio n an d , th er ef o re , w e r ev iew th e B IA ’s de c i s i on. We r evi ew the fa ctual det erm i nat i on s of the IJand B IA un der the subst ant i al e v id e n c e te s t. A l

N aj j ar , 2 5 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 3 - 8 4 ; For gue v . U ni te d S tate s A t t ’ yG e n. , 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 8 2 , 1 2 8 6 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . U n d e rth is te s t, th e f in d in g m u s t b e u p h e ld i f i ti s “ supp ort ed by re as on abl e, subst ant i al , and p robat i ve evi dence on the re cord consi dere d as aw ho l e. ” A l N aj j ar , 257 F . 3d a t1284 ( c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . T he d e te rm in a tio n m a y b e r e v e r s e d o n lyw h e r e th e e v id e n c e w o u ld c o m p e l a r e a s o n ab le f

in d e ro f f a c t to c o m e to ac o n tr a ry d e te rm in a tio n . A de fe m i v . A s h c ro ft , 38 6 F . 3d 10 22 , 10 27 (1 1th C i r . 20 04 ) ( e n banc ). “ U nd erthe subst ant i al evi dence test, w e r ev iew th e r ec o rd ev id en ce in th e lig h t m o st fa v o rab le to th e a g en cy ’s deci si on and d raw al l re as on abl e i nfer ence s i n favor of thatdeci si on . ” Id . T hat evi dence i n the re cord m aysupp orta c on traryconcl usi on i s notenou gh t o j ust i fy r e v e r s a l. Id . C re di bi l i ty det erm i nat i on s, l i ke other f ac tual fi nd i ng s, ar e r evi ew ed u n d e rth e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t. For gue , 401 F . 3d a t1286. A n a lie n m a y o b ta in a s y lu m if h e is ar e f

u g e e . 8 U .S .C . § 1 1 5 8 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( A ) . A re fugee i s apers on w ho i s unabl e or unw i l l i ng t o return t o h i s hom e c ou ntry be c aus e of

pa s tpe r s e c ut i on oraw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ount o f r a c e , r e lig io n , n a tio n a lity, m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rg r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n .4

I N A § 101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) , 8 U . S . C . § 1 101( A ) ( 42) ( A ) . A w e l l - f ounde d f e a rof p e r s e c u tio n is o n e th a t is s u b je c tiv e lyg e n u in e a n d o b je c tiv e lyr e a s o n ab le . Al N aj j ar , 25 7 F . 3d at12 89 . T he as yl um appl i cantcarr i es the bu rden of prov i ng that h e m e e ts th e d e f

in itio n o f r e f u g e e . I d. a t 1284. To o b ta in w ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l, an a lie n m u s t s h o w th a t it is m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t th a t h e w ill b e p e r s e c u te d o rto rtu r e d u p o n b e in g r e tu rn e d to h is c o u n try. Se pulv e da v

. U ni te d S tate s A t t ’ y. G e n. , 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 2 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h is s t a nda r d i s m or e s tr i nge nttha n the w e l l - f ounde d f e a rs t a nda r d f

orr e c e i vi ng a s y lu m . A l

N aj j ar , 25 7 F . 3d at12 92 –9 3. T hu s, i f an app l i canti s unabl e t o m ee t th e a s y lu m s ta n d a r d , h e is g e n e r a llyu n ab le to q u a lif y f o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. Id . To r e c e i ve C A

T r e l i e f , a n a l i e n m us ts how tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nothe w o u l d b e t o rtu red i f rem o v ed . 8 C . F . R . § 2 0 8 . 1 6 (c)(2 ). T h i s st an d ard i s al so h ig h e rth a n th e b u r d e n f o rs h o w in g e lig ib ilityf

o ra s y lu m . A l

N aj j ar , 25 7 F . 3d at 1302- 03.

“ T he a s y l um appl i c a ntm us te s t abl i s h e l i gi bi l i ty f ora s y l um by of

f e r i ng cr edi bl e, di re ct , and speci fi c e vi dence i n the re cord. ” For gue , 401 F . 3d a t1287 ( c i t a t i o n o m i tt e d ) . T h e c r e d i b l e t e s t i m o n y o f a n ap p l i c a n tm a y s u f

f i c e o n i t s o wn to e s tab lis h e lig ib ilityf

o ra s y lu m . For

gue , 40 1 F . 3d at12 87 . “ C on vers el y, an a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on a l one m a y be s uf f i c i e ntt o s upportthe de ni a l of an as yl um appl i ca t i on . ” Id . “ [T ] he IJm ustof fe r s peci fi c, cogentre as on s f or an5

advers e c re di bi l i ty f

i nd i ng . ” Id . F o rth e r e to b e a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility de t e rm i na t i on, the I J m us tha ve m a de a n e xpl i c i t , c l e a n de t e rm i na t i on of c r e d ib ility. Y

ang v . U ni te d S tate s A t t ’ y. G e n. , 4 1 8 F . 3 d 1 1 9 8 , 1 2 0 1 ( 1 1 th C i r. 2005) . “ O nc e a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng i s m a de , the bur de n i s on the appl i c a nt al i en t o sho w thatthe IJ ’ s c re di bi l i ty dec i si on w as no tsupp ort ed by spec i fi c, cogentre as on s or w as no tbase d o n sub st ant i al evi dence. ” For gue , 40 1 F . 3d at 1 2 8 7 ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n s o m itte d ) . A ft erre vi ew i ng the re cord and the part i es ’ bri ef s, w e c on cl ud e that subst ant i al evi dence s up po rt s the B IA ’ s det erm i nat i on thatthe IJdi d n otcl earl y e rr i n i t s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on. T he B I A a c c ur a t e l y i de nt i f i e d ava r i e ty of spec i fi c, cogentre as on s thatthe IJre l i ed up on i n m aki ng thi s f i nd i ng , and P apyan d o e s n o t c h a lle n g e th e s e c o n c lu s io n s . See For gue , 401 F . 3d a t1287. W i th the a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n in ta c t, s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s u p p o rts th e u ltim a te de t e rm i na t i on tha tP apy a n w a s note l i gi bl e f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , or C A T r e l i e f . A c c o r d i n g l y, w e d e n y th e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.