Yeghiazaryan

MEMORANDUM **

Aida Yeghiazaryan, a native and citizen of Armenia, petitions for review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming the denial by an immigration judge (IJ) of her request for asylum and withholding of removal. Where the BIA adopts the IJ’s decision while adding its own reasons, we review both decisions. See Kataria v. INS, 232 F.3d 1107, 1112 (9th Cir.2000). Because neither the IJ nor the BIA made an explicit adverse credibility finding, we accept Yeghiazaryan’s testimony as true. See Navas v. INS, 217 F.3d 646, 652 (9th Cir.2000).

We review the IJ and BIA’s decisions under the substantial evidence standard and may reverse only if the evidence compels a contrary conclusion. See Singh v. Ashcroft, 367 F.3d 1139, 1143 (9th Cir.2004). Treating Yeghiazaryan’s testimony as true, we conclude that the evidence compels the conclusion that she suffered past persecution on the basis of her religious affiliation.

The IJ found that, despite finding Yeghiazaryan’s testimony to be for the most part credible, “it is difficult for the court to believe that [Yeghiazaryan] really belongs to any religion because she really does not explain in any degree of…