Harutyunyan

MEMORANDUM **

Ashot Harutyunyan, a native and citizen of Armenia, petitions pro se for review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals summarily affirming an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) order denying his applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (the “Convention”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence, Nagoulko v. INS, 333 F.3d 1012, 1015 (9th Cir.2003), and grant the petition for review.

Substantial evidence does not support the IJ’s conclusion that Harutyunyan’s credible evidence did not establish that he was persecuted “on account of’ his political opinion. Harutyunyan’s evidence demonstrates that Armenian government officials were motivated to harm him at least in part by Harutyunyan’s political opposition to corruption. See Grava v. INS, 205 F.3d 1177, 1181 (9th Cir.2000). The IJ’s finding that Harutyunyan was harmed due to his failure to perform his duties as a government officer is not supported by substantial evidence. See He v. Ashcroft, 328 F.3d 593, 603 (9th Cir.2003). Therefore, Harutyunyan met his burden of proving that he suffered past persecution on…