Opinion ID: 788423
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Objectively Reasonable Fear of Persecution

Text: 27 On the question of objectively reasonable fear, the IJ relied on the 1998 United States Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Argentina (the Report). The IJ noted that the Report stated there were no reports of politically motivated killings or politically motivated disappearances in 1998. He also observed that the Report stated that Argentina's constitution prohibits torture and the criminal code provides penalties for those who torture that are similar to those for homicide. The IJ explained that though the Report acknowledged that police brutality was a problem, it did not indicate that the police targeted individuals because of their political opinion. 28 The IJ noted that the Report stated that Argentina's constitution provides for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of peaceful assembly, and that those freedoms are respected in practice. He also noted that the Report indicated that [a] number of independent newspapers and magazines publish freely and privately owned radio and television stations broadcast freely as well. The IJ acknowledged that the government had been called from time to time to break up demonstrations in different provinces and that a few high-profile journalists had been harassed by the government, but he did not find these instances of repression significant. 29 The IJ found it unlikely that anyone would be interested in [Lanza] now if she returned bearing in mind the present conditions. Even by her own analysis, he said, if she does not speak out against the government she will likely not be harmed.