WPC  GB7[x _ hUA!协ICfq"pY}߆rInDt K_ |"%r_RF~p$a" /`Ր"Aې#k,`l9b$LjpӯSi oAbsj1$(p@X濄?YŷXE^ \s(GYkWܧkW?^I cX>_ )ĕ.ſ6odxPOQ`nџ.Zo{' ("h q&">1uTyqqtM3V}H74ms if)G9'K3 Z9N5IO|ghѳ;z/d< {#]{+~$-OMMLYg2_?7ۍ,Kf5PD?-ߚ(#0 %U8 0G7U:~ 0U.nTN U@ ^ G wS 4W k z m| E f a UB b 0D 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 B HP LaserJet 4000 Series PCL 5e,,,,0X<4 9Z+ Courier New ($XOXXX<6X9`("Courier NewTT(2$ !XKPXXX  XKPXXXKP  0  <6X9`(Courier<6X9`("Courier NewTTXXx6X@DQX@<6X9`(CourierTTXXw6X@QX@(9 Z(Times New Roman 5 Z5?,}backup3|xUTABLE A<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpi- -(#$  0   _    1TheBoardwasreasonableinnotcountingtherobbingof  _Plaka_'sstoreinitscalculus._Plaka_Ԁadmittedthathedidnotknow  whorobbedthestore,andtherewasevidencethateconomiccrime \ wasrampantinAlbania. d !XCXXX  _TRXܐ3'X3' Letter3'Letter3'LetterT ? * !  XXXXC    NotforPublicationinWest'sFederalReporter  CitationLimitedPursuantto1stCir.Loc.R.32.3#XCXX X# XXXXC   "X XUnitedStatesCourtofAppeals# XX "#   X XFortheFirstCircuit# XX D# #XCXX X# \ A') ` dE<g ` A h    No.052341 # s  @$ROBERT_PLAKA_,   @XX%Petitioner, {  @tt)v. 'w  @ ALBERTOR.GONZALES, # 0   @ (#(#AttorneyGeneralfortheUnitedStates,  @XX%Respondent. U A') ` dE<` A Q @@ @ ONPETITIONFORREVIEWOFANORDEROF 6 @l l THEBOARDOFIMMIGRATIONAPPEALS      `     h     @*A') ` dE<g` A h @'Before M @ Torruella,Lynch,andHoward, I   CircuitJudges.   A') ` dE<z ` A { "     GlennL.Formicaonbriefforpetitioner. `!$   Michael_Sady_,AssistantUnitedStatesAttorneyandMichael 6"% J.Sullivan,UnitedStatesAttorney,onbriefforrespondent.  #\& *'ddd Xdd Xdd X(#(#,( dd ,( dd ,( dd +  % )%   SI%B!* @38952@SAugust24,2006 &",  RHC'"-" @38952 @ R(%B!.  (   `     h      p      x  &+v&1?   8CXXdd8*,X` XX*",US ,  (:!&),   ` PerCuriam .TheBoardofImmigrationAppealsaffirmed  thedenialofRobert_Plaka_'sapplicationsforasylumand x withholdingofremovalandordered_Plaka_ԀremovedfromtheUnited $t StatestoAlbania._Plaka_Ԁpetitionsforreview,arguingthatthe   Board'sorderisnotsupportedbysubstantialevidence. |   ` _Plaka_ԀisanAlbaniannational.Hewasamemberofthe ( x  NationalFrontParty,whichsupportedthedemocraticmovementin $  AlbaniaagainsttheCommunistParty.In1991,_Plaka_Ԁhelpedtopple   astatueofAlbania'scommunistdictator,Enver_Hoxha_.Shortly ,|  aftertheincident,_Plaka_Ԁwasarrestedanddetainedforthree ( hours.Duringthisdetentionhewashitwitharubberstick.Upon  release,thepoliceinstructed_Plaka_Ԁto"stopbreakingthelaw," 0 andtwoweekslater_Plaka_Ԁreceivedaletterfromtwounknown , individualsurginghimtoleavehishometown.   ` In1994,theDemocraticParty(whichwasinpoweratthe 4 time)organizedarallysupportingaproposedconstitution._Plaka_ 0 spokeattherally,andthreepoliceofficerswhowerepresent   called_Plaka_Ԁ"theenemy."Theofficerswereejectedfromtherally 8!" anddidnotharm_Plaka_.Laterthatday,threeunknowncivilians "4$ confronted_Plaka_Ԁabouthisspeech. $&  ` Thenextincidentoccurredin1997._Plaka_Ԁtestified <&!( that,whileservingasanelectionobserver,heconfrontedamember '8#* oftheSocialistPartywhowascommittingvotefraud._Plaka_Ԁclaims )$, thathesubsequentlywasarrestedbythreemaskedpoliceofficers, @+&. heldforthreedays,andbeatenwitharubberstick.Thefinal  incidentstookplacein2002:after_Plaka_Ԁgaveatelevision \ interviewaccusingtheSocialistPartyofcorruption,several X unidentifiedindividualsrobbed_Plaka_'sstore,andaSocialist   Partymemberbeathimup. `   ` Aftertheseincidents,_Plaka_ԀleftAlbaniaforItaly.In  \  November2002,hetraveledtotheUnitedStatesandtriedtoenter   thecountryusingafalseItalianpassport.Conceding d  _removability_,_Plaka_Ԁappliedforasylumandwithholdingofremoval `  onthebasisofpoliticalpersecution.Attheconclusionofan   evidentiaryhearing,animmigrationjudgedenied_Plaka_'s h applicationsforrelief. d  ` _Plaka_ԀappealedtotheBoard,whichaffirmedthejudge's  ruling.TheBoardfoundthatneitherthe"sporadicincidentsof l mistreatmentthat[_Plaka_]sufferedatthehandsofSocialistParty h supportersoveraperiodofseveralyears,"nor"thedegreeofharm  heexperiencedwhileinpolicecustody"rosetothelevelof p  persecution.Inaddition,theBoarddiscounted_Plaka_'stestimony !l" concerningtherobbingofhisstorebecausehefailedtoestablish "$ thattheincidentwaspoliticallymotivated.TheBoardalso t$& concludedthat_Plaka_Ԁfailedtoprovideobjectiveevidencethathe  &p!( hadawellfoundedfearoffuturepersecutionifheweretoreturn '#*  toAlbania. x)$, _Finally,theBoardrejected_Plaka_'swithholdingofremovalclaim   becausehehadnotestablishedthatitwasmorelikelythannot \ thathewouldbepersecutedifreturnedtohishomecountry._Plaka_ X timelypetitionedthiscourtforreviewoftheBoard'sdecision.    ` Wefocuson_Plaka_'sasylumclaimbecausethestandardfor `  asylumclaimsislowerthanthestandardforwithholdingofremoval  \  claims.SeeRodriguezRamirezv.Ashcroft,398F.3d120,123(1st   Cir.2003).Thus,if_Plaka_'sasylumclaimfailsonthemerits,so d  doeshisclaimforwithholdingofremoval.Seeid. `   ` WereviewtheBoard'sdecisiontodetermineifitis   supportedbysubstantialevidence.See_DaSilva_v.Ashcroft,394 h F.3d1,4(1stCir.2005).Insodoing,weaccepttheBoard's d factualfindingsandcredibilitydeterminationssolongastheyare  supportedby"reasonable,substantial,andprobativeevidenceon l therecordconsideredasawhole."INSv.Elias_Zacarias_,502U.S. h 478,481(1992).FortheBoard'sfactbaseddeterminationthatan  asylumapplicantdoesnotqualifyforrelieftobevacated,the p  evidencemust"pointunerringlyintheoppositedirection." !l" Laurentv.Ashcroft,359F.3d59,64(1stCir.2004). "$  ` Anasylumapplicantmustestablishthathehassuffered t$& pastpersecutionononeofseveralprotectedgrounds(including  &p!( politicalopinion)orhasawellfoundedfearofsuchpersecution '#* onaccountofoneofthesegrounds.See_Makhoul_v.Ashcroft,387 x)$, F.2d75,79(1stCir.2004).Toproveawellfoundedfearof $+t&. futurepersecution,theapplicant'ssubjectivefearmustbe  objectivelyreasonable.See_Aguilar_Ԅ_Solis_v.INS,168F.3d565, \ 572(1stCir.1999). X  ` _Plaka_'sargumentconcerningpastpersecutionis   controlledby_Bocova_v.Gonzales,412F.3d257(1stCir.2005). `  There,theBoardruledthatanAlbaniannationalhadnotbeen  \  persecutedwhereheestablishedthat,becauseofhissupportfor   theDemocraticParty,hehadbeentwicearrestedandoncebeatenby d  thepolicewithachaintothepointofunconsciousnessoveran `  eightyearperiod.WeaffirmedtheBoard'sruling.Whilewe   neithercondonednorminimizedthepetitioner'streatment,we h concludedthattheinfrequencyoftheeventssupportedtheBoard's d viewthatthepetitionerhadprovenonly"aseriesofisolated  events"ratherthanthe"systematicmistreatment"thatisnecessary l todemonstratepastpersecution.Id.at263;seealsoNelsonv. h INS,232F.3d258,263(1stCir.2000)(evidenceofpersecution  "mustriseaboveunpleasantness,harassment,andevenbasic p  suffering"). !l"  ` Sotoohere.Overanelevenyearperiod,_Plaka_Ԁwas "$ arrestedtwice,*!hitwitharubbersticktwice,beatenonce,and t$& threatenedatinfrequentintervals. #  1      ׀Buttherewerelargespansof  &p!( timeduringwhich_Plaka_Ԁwasnotsubjecttoharassment.  Accordingly,_Plaka_'stestimonycouldreasonablybecharacterizedas \ recountingisolatedeventsofharassment,notsystematic X mistreatment.Whileareasonablefactfinderperhapscouldhave   founddifferently,thatisnotthestandardweapply.Theevidence `  isnotsoonesidedthatareasonable_factfinder_Ԁwouldhaveto  \  concludethat_Plaka_Ԁwaspersecutedonaccountofhispolitical   opinion,andthereforetheBoard'srulingmuststand.See_Bocova_, d  412F.3dat264. `   ` Wereachasimilarconclusionconcerning_Plaka_'sfearof   futurepersecutionclaim._Plaka_Ԁreliedontheincidentsof h harassmentrecountedabovetoclaimawellfoundedfearoffuture d persecution.Evidencethatisinsufficienttoconstitutepast  persecutionis,byitself,alsoinsufficienttocompelafindingof l awellfoundedfearoffuturepersecution.Id.Therewasalso h evidencebeforetheBoard,intheformofaStateDepartment  CountryReport,thatthereisnoongoingpatternofsystematic p  mistreatmentofAlbaniancitizensonaccountoftheirpolitical !l" opinion,and_Plaka_Ԁdidnotdisputethisevidence.See_Waweru_v. "$ Gonzales,437F.3d199,202n.1(1stCir.2006)("TheBoardof t$& ImmigrationAppealsisentitledtorelyontheStateDepartment's  &p!( countryreportasproofofcountryconditionsdescribedtherein, '#* althoughitmustconsiderevidenceintherecordthatcontradicts x)$, theStateDepartment'sdescriptionsandconclusions."). $+t&. Accordingly,theBoardwasreasonableinconcludingthattherewas  inadequateobjectivesupportfor_Plaka_'sclaimthathefeared \ persecutionifhereturnedtoAlbania. X  ` Thepetitionforreviewis_ denied. ___