Frangieh

MEMORANDUM **

Robert Youseff Frangieh (“Frangieh”), a citizen of Lebanon, seeks review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) affirmance of the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) order denying his application for asylum. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 (a) and we grant the petition for review.

The BIA found that Frangieh testified credibly, but concluded that he had not suffered past persecution or established a well-founded fear of future persecution. Frangieh testified that he was twice chased by cars after giving speeches at Lebanese University in Beirut in which he advocated disarming Hezbollah and ending Syrian influence in Lebanon. On one of these occasions, the individuals following Frangieh shot at his vehicle, but Frangieh was not harmed because his car was bulletproof. He believed his attackers were affiliated with Hezbollah based on their manner and dress. Frangieh also received numerous death threats by letter and telephone from individuals who told Frangieh he would be killed unless he stopped advocating against Syria and Hezbollah. Although Frangieh did not personally suffer any physical harm, the repeated threats against his life, combined with close…