Badalian
Badalian v. Gonzales
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM **
Souren Badalian, a native and citizen of Armenia, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision summarily affirming the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his applications for asylum and withholding of removal, and request for relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence an adverse credibility finding and will uphold the IJ’s decision unless the evidence compels a contrary conclusion. Malhi v. INS, 336 F.3d 989, 992-93 (9th Cir.2003). We deny the petition for review.
We conclude that substantial evidence supports the IJ’s decision because Badalian’s asylum application omitted and/or was inconsistent with his testimony concerning several details that went to the heart of his asylum claim, including his intimacy with the murdered leader of a gay rights association, threats of a sexual nature made by police, a six month period of hiding from the police, and continual searches of his parents’ home by police. See Li v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 959, 962 (9th Cir.2004). In addition, Badalian’s testimony was internally inconsistent regarding details that went to the…