Arzumanyan

MEMORANDUM ***

Lead petitioner Armen Spartakovich Ar-zumanyan, his wife and two minor children, natives and citizens of Armenia, petition pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) dismissal of their appeal from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) denial of their applications for asylum, withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and we review the IJ’s order as the final agency determination. See Falcon Carriche v. Ashcroft, 350 F.3d 845, 849 (9th Cir.2003). We review for substantial evidence, see Gui v. INS, 280 F.3d 1217, 1225 (9th Cir.2002), and deny the petition for review.

Although Arzumanyan failed to address the adverse credibility determination in his opening brief, we nevertheless reach the issue “because the government briefed it, and thus suffers no prejudice from [Arzu-manyan’s] failure to raise the issue.” *11 Singh v. Ashcroft, 361 F.3d 1152 , 1157 n. 3 (9th Cir.2004).

Substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination because Arzumanyan’s testimony regarding whether a controversial film produced by Arzumanyan was indeed broadcast on…