Opinion ID: 77835
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: analysis

Text: The petitioner argues that the IJ erred in concluding that he did not suffer past persecution. He argues that the systematic discrimination and abuse he suffered in the Ukraine based on his nationality, culminating with his fifteen-day detention where he was beaten, starved and threatened for his life, amounts to past persecution. Therefore, the petitioner asks that we remand the BIA's decision to the IJ so that he will have the benefit of the rebuttable presumption that his life or freedom would be threatened upon removal to the Ukraine. See Antipova v. U.S. Attorney Gen., 392 F.3d 1259, 1264 (11th Cir.2004) ( citing 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(1)(i)). 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A) enumerates that an immigrant cannot be removed to a country where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of the petitioner's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. See also I.N.S. v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 482, 112 S.Ct. 812, 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992). The United States (respondent) does not challenge that the abuse suffered by the petitioner was based upon a protected ground, specifically nationality and/or political opinion. The respondent does dispute the petitioner's claim that the IJ erred when he found that there had been no past persecution in this case. The respondent agrees with the IJ that even though the petitioner testified credibly, the lack of corroborative evidence was particularly damning, and justified a finding of no past persecution. The petitioner raises an issue that this Court recently discussed in Ruiz v. Gonzales, 479 F.3d 762 (11th Cir.2007). In Ruiz, the petitioner was a Colombian immigrant seeking withholding of removal due to persecution by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Id. at 763. Ruiz had been very active in an opposing political party. Id. There were several incidents with the FARC, including ones where Ruiz was beaten, received threatening phone calls, had his bus pulled over and burned by the FARC, and finally when he and a friend were kidnaped and held against their will. Id. at 763-64. Ruiz was beaten and taunted for eighteen days, until he was able to escape while the FARC skirmished with the Colombian army. Id. at 764. This Court held that the cumulative effect of the beatings, the threatening phone calls, the rape of his friend's wife, the kidnaping and resulting beatings and the killing of his friend amounted to past persecution. Id. at 766. The respondent attempts to distinguish this case from Ruiz. The argument is that Ruiz had various pieces of corroborative evidence, including a police report from one of the assaults involving the FARC, a statement from the wife of his friend who was kidnaped with him and ultimately killed, and a medical report documenting treatment for scratches and wounds received while held captive in the jungle. Id. In this case, the only evidence dealing with his personal treatment is the petitioner's testimony. He does not present any police reports, hospital records, or other evidence to corroborate his testimony. The respondent argues that therefore 8 U.S.C § 1252(b)(4) prevents this Court from reversing the IJ's determination. [3] The respondent further argues that the petitioner's testimony is too vague to warrant a finding of past persecution. These arguments simply have no merit. First, while the IJ did not explicitly state that the petitioner was credible, he did state that the petitioner was not incredible, and that his testimony was consistent with his application. As even the respondent recognizes on appeal, this language is equivalent to finding the petitioner credible and consequently his testimony must be accepted. In spite of the ruling on credibility, the IJ found, and the respondent now argues, that the petitioner's testimony is not sufficiently detailed to warrant relief. However, the petitioner testified extensively and with sufficient detail about protests, beatings, arrests, searches, interrogations, being imprisoned for fifteen days, being held with little food or water, being threatened with being shot and even continued harassment when he moved to Argentina. The respondent had the opportunity to cross-examine the petitioner and did not expose any inconsistencies in his testimony, nor did the respondent seek more detailed explanations of events referred to in the testimony, but rather focused on the lack of corroborating evidence. Accepting the facts as outlined in detail by the petitioner, it is clear to us that he has suffered past persecution. See Yang v. U.S. Att'y Gen., 418 F.3d 1198, 1202 (11th Cir.2005) (noting the applicant must, with specific and credible evidence, establish past persecution) (emphasis added); In re S-M-J, 21 I. & N. Dec. 722 (BIA 1997) (stating an alien's own testimony can suffice where the testimony is believable, consistent, and sufficiently detailed.). With respect to the respondent's 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4) argument, this appeal does not concern whether corroborative evidence was available. This appeal concerns whether or not the petitioner's credible testimony, in and of itself, establishes his past persecution. 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b) provides that [t]he testimony of the applicant, if credible, may be sufficient to sustain the burden of proof [in a withholding of removal case] without corroboration. We are satisfied that such is the situation here. The facts in this case are akin to Ruiz and in our opinion this record compels a finding of past persecution based upon the cumulative effect of (1) the discrimination the petitioner suffered in the Ukraine due to his mixed ethnicity, (2) the numerous beatings, arrests, searches, and interrogations he endured after speaking out against the Ukrainian government, (3) the fifteen-day period he spent in detention, deprived of food, beaten, and threatened at gunpoint, and (4) the beatings and threats he received from Ukrainian officials after he fled to Argentina. Therefore, we find that the petitioner should benefit from the rebuttable presumption that his life or freedom would be threatened if returned to the Ukraine. We hold that the IJ erred when he found that the petitioner failed to establish past persecution. The BIA made the same mistake. The facts of this case compel such a finding. We are also troubled by the notion of condemning the petitioner for failing to obtain some sort of documentation from the same government that persecuted and imprisoned him, concerning incidents that occurred approximately ten years ago.