Ruben Ayvazyan v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Shakila Rahman and Anis Ur Rahman Mullick, natives and citizens of Bangladesh, petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing their appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying their application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings, Chebchoub v. INS, 257 F.3d 1038, 1042 (9th Cir.2001), and we deny the petition for review.

Substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination based on the inconsistencies between Rah-man’s testimony and written statement regarding a central incident of the harm Rahman allegedly suffered from Muslim extremists. -See id. at 1043 (inconsistencies relating to “the events leading up to [petitioner’s] departure and the number of times he was arrested” went to the heart of the claim). The agency reasonably rejected Rahman’s explanations for the inconsistencies. See Rivera v. Mukasey, 508 F.3d 1271, 1275 (9th Cir.2007). In the absence of credible testimony, petitioners’ asylum and withholding of removal claims fail. See…