Sonya Khachikyan v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Sonya Khachikyan, a native of Iran and citizen of Armenia, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying her application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence factual findings, Telele v. Mukasey, 533 F.3d 1044, 1051 (9th Cir.2008), and we deny the petition for review.

Among other findings, the agency found Khachikyan not credible based on the discrepancy between Khachikyan’s testimony and her declaration regarding which encounter with the government officials resulted in her husband’s broken leg. The record does not compel a contrary conclusion. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478 , 481 n. 1, 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992) (“To reverse the BIA finding we must find that the evidence not only supports that conclusion, but compels it[J) (emphasis in original). In addition, substantial evidence supports the agency’s finding that the background evidence failed to establish that Khachikyan has a well-founded fear of persecution as a…