VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYE #0559/01 2241102
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
R 121102Z AUG 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9378
RUEAHLA/HQ CIS IAO WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEPICA/USCIS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1628
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1938

UNCLAS E F T O YEREVAN 000559 
 
SENSITIVE NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/VO/F/P (MEEARL) AND CA/FPP (RSBILLINGS) 
USCIS FOR ASYLUM BRANCH (KTURO AND KMACK) 
MOSCOW FOR USCIS (SSINCLAIR-SMITH) 
FRANKFURT FOR RCO (KBROUGHAM) AND ICE (GSPINDEL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD PHUM PREF AM
SUBJECT: EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE FRAUDULENT ASYLUM CLAIM - 
TOROSYAN, GEORGI - DOB 12 NOV 1971, A89882674 
 
THIS CABLE CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT IS SENSITIVE BUT 
UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (SBU/NF) Summary: Evidence has come to light during a Visa 
92 following-to-join interview that suggests Mr. Georgi 
TOROSYAN, Alien Registration Number 89882674, submitted a 
fraudulent claim for asylum.  As per 9 FAM Appendix O, 
1207.2-5(A), Post is reporting these details to CA/VO/F/P, 
CA/FPP and USCIS.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU/NF) Armenian citizen Mr. Georgi TOROSYAN entered the 
U.S. in B2 status on 23APR2008 and claimed asylum on 
20NOV2008.  The basis for his claim to asylum was 
persecution, threats, beatings and detention he had received 
as a result of his support of an opposition political party 
and his work with an anti-corruption NGO from May 2007 - 
April 2008.  Specifically, Mr. Torosyan noted in his I-589 
statement that he attended an opposition rally and march on 
May 10, 2007, that was broken up by the police. During the 
march, Mr. Torosyan was beaten and arrested by the police. 
While in detention he was beaten again and only secured his 
release by paying a bribe.  Following this arrest, Mr. 
Torosyan continued his political activities and spoke out 
about his May 10 arrest at a rally on May 15, 2007.  As a 
result of this public speech and his continued political 
activities, Mr. Torosyan stated in his I-589 statement that 
he was detained by the police two more times on February 13, 
2008 and April 18, 2008, during which time he was again 
beaten and tortured. As a result of his political activities 
Mr. Torosyan received threatening phone calls, was beaten in 
the street, intimidated by members of Armenian organized 
crime, and hospitalized twice as a result of beatings.  On 
April 23, 2008, Mr. Torosyan left for the United States, and 
his family, according to his I-589 statement, moved to a very 
remote village for their safety.  USCIS granted Georgi 
TOROSYAN asylum on 26NOV2008. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) On 03JUN2009, Post interviewed Mr. TOROSYAN's 
wife Maria Grigoryan and their two children for Visas 92 
following-to-join status.  As part of routine preparation for 
the interview, the consular officer reviewed the principal 
applicant's case file including Mr. Torosyan's I-589 
application for asylum.  During his interview, the consular 
officer interviewed Mr. Torosyan's wife Maria Grigoryan 
separately from their children. The consular officer asked 
Ms. Grigoryan about her life in Armenia and if she or her 
husband had ever experienced any persecutions or beatings 
while living in Armenia.  Ms. Grigoryan vowed and signed a 
sworn statement that she had lived in Armenia with her 
husband Giorgi Torosyan from the time of their November 22, 
1997 wedding until his trip to the United States, and that 
during that period neither she nor her husband had ever 
participated in a political party, been beaten, or arrested. 
Ms. Grigoryan further swore that she had lived in the capital 
city of Yerevan from the day of her marriage to the day of 
her asylee follow-to-join interview.  Finally, Ms. Grigoryan 
stated that she and her husband had never been inside any 
police department or been included on a list of wanted 
persons.  Ms. Grigoryan's sworn statement has been scanned 
into the NIV record for Ms. Grigoryan's YY transportation 
foil and can be accessed through the Consular Consolidated 
Database (CCD). 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Given the conflicting information provided by 
Maria Grigoryan, Post suspects that Giorgi Torosyan's 
original claim for asylum was fraudulent.  Mr. Torosyan 
stated in his I-589 Asylum Application that he participated 
in a political rally in May 2007, and was subsequently 
arrested and severely beaten to the point that he had to go 
to the hospital. He was then arrested and beaten again, 
according to his statement, on February 13 and April 18, 
¶2008.  His wife, conversely, swears that her husband never 
participated in any political party and never was beaten or 
arrested.  Post finds it highly unlikely that a wife of 
nearly 10 years would not notice when her husband has been 
beaten severely, or been arrested on three separate 
occasions.  Finally, Ms. Grigoryan's statement that she has 
lived her entire married life in Yerevan directly contradicts 
her husband's statement that the she and her children were 
forced to flee to a remote village in April 2008 for their 
safety. As a result of these inconsistencies, Post concludes 
that Mr. Torosyan's I-589 includes disinformation.  Post 
 
believes this disinformation necessarily casts doubts on the 
rest of the information of record in this case. 
 
¶5. (SBU/NF) To preserve the principal applicant's 
confidentiality, the questions put to Maria Grigoryan were 
all factual questions to confirm information for the record. 
The consular officer's questioning was such that he never 
stated that Mr. Georgi Torosyan had received asylum or 
intimated that one reason for his departure from Armenia was 
that Mr. Torosyan had difficulties in Armenia.  Nonetheless, 
the interview showed that Maria Grigoryan appeared to be 
aware that her husband received asylum status in the U.S. 
Maria Grigoryan was interviewed in a private room where no 
one could overhear the conversation. 
 
¶6. (SBU/NF) Post issued Ms. Grigoryan and her two children 
their YY transportation foil as they qualify for Visa 92 
following-to-join status in all other respects.  Their 
information is as follows: Ms. Maria Grigoryan (wife), DOB 07 
NOV 1980, Alien Registration Number 89707714; Ms. Tamara 
Torosyan (daughter), DOB 04 FEB 1999, Alien Registration 
Number 89707715; and Ms. Piruza Torosyan (daughter), DOB 07 
APR 2002, Alien Registration Number 89707716.  The family's 
intended address in the United States is c/o of the 
petitioner Mr. Georgi Torosyan at 2452 W Via Lycia; 
Montebelo, CA 90640. 
 
¶7. (U) Post point of contact is Vice Consul Brian T. Smith, 
smithbt@state.gov. 
YOVANOVITCH