Opinion ID: 221002
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Chinese officials imputed an anti-government political opinion to Hu

Text: An imputed political opinion is a valid basis for relief. Canas-Segovia v. INS, 970 F.2d 599, 601 (9th Cir.1992). [W]e have repeatedly held that an applicant can establish imputed political opinion based upon the persecutor's erroneous belief as to the applicant's political affiliation or opinion. Kumar v. Gonzales, 444 F.3d 1043, 1054 (9th Cir.2006). When an asylum applicant argues he was persecuted because of an imputed political opinion, the focus shifts from the views of the victim to the views of the persecutor. Sangha v. INS, 103 F.3d 1482, 1489 (9th Cir.1997). Regardless of whether Hu actually held an anti-government opinion, the record compels the conclusion that the police imputed an anti-government political opinion to Hu. They said as much to him: Hu credibly testified repeatedly that the police accused him of acting against the government and against the [Communist] party. See Zhu v. Mukasey, 537 F.3d 1034, 1045 (9th Cir.2008) (concluding that petitioner suffered harm on account of an imputed political opinion, where the Chinese police arrested petitioner and accused her of being against the government after she sent a letter to the local town condemning the appointment of her rapist to a position of local political power); Baghdasaryan, 592 F.3d at 1024-25 (political opinion was imputed to petitioner where top law enforcement official indicated that [petitioner] was detained and beaten because he was `defaming' and `raising his head' against government corruption). The anti-government political opinion Chinese officials imputed to Hu is a protected ground under our asylum laws. See id.