Akopian

MEMORANDUM **

Alexander Akopian, a native of Azerbaijan and citizen of Armenia, petitions for review of the denial of his application for asylum, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture by the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and we deny the petition.

The BIA adopted and affirmed the findings of the IJ without opinion. We review the IJ’s decision as the final agency determination for substantial evidence and will reverse only if the record compels a contrary conclusion. Ge v. Ashcroft, 367 F.3d 1121, 1124 (9th Cir.2004).

The Immigration Judge (“IJ”) found Akopian failed to establish either past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of a protected ground. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158 (a) (granting Attorney General discretion to grant asylum status to alien refugees); 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (a)(42)(A) (defining “refugee” as an alien who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of origin “because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”).

“[P]ersecution…