Mnatsakanyan

MEMORANDUM ***

Saribek Mnatsakanyan, a native and citizen of Armenia, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) dismissal of his appeal from the immigration judge’s (IJ) denial of his application 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 and we deny the petition for review.

The BIA cited Matter of Burbano, 20 I. & N. Dec. 872 (BIA 1994) and did not express disagreement with any part of the IJ’s oral decision. “When the BIA adopts the decision of the IJ, we review the IJ’s decision as if it were that of the BIA.” Abebe v. Gonzales, 432 F.3d 1037, 1039 *799 (9th Cir.2005) (en banc). We review for substantial evidence an adverse credibility finding and will uphold the IJ’s decision unless the evidence compels a contrary conclusion. See Malhi v. INS, 336 F.3d 989, 992-93 (9th Cir.2003).

The letter from the United States Consulate in Armenia provides substantial evidence to support the IJ’s finding that Mnatsakanyan submitted false documents concerning his arrest. The genuineness of these documents went to the heart of his asylum claim. See Desta v.…