VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYE #0677/01 2720711
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
R 290711Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9533
RUEPICA/USCIS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1641
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1951

UNCLAS E F T O YEREVAN 000677 
 
SENSITIVE NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/VO/F/P (MEEARL) AND CA/FPP (RSBILLINGS) 
USCIS FOR HQ ASYLUM BRANCH (KTURO AND KMACK) 
MOSCOW FOR USCIS (SSINCLAIR-SMITH) 
FRANKFURT FOR RCO (KBROUGHAM) AND ICE (GSPINDEL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AM CVIS KFRD PHUM PREF
SUBJECT: EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE FRAUDULENT ASYLUM 
CLAIM-ARAKELYAN NAKHSHUN-DOB 16 MARCH 1969, A099-039-244 
 
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 Arakelyan 
NAKHSHUN, DOB 16 MARCH 1969, A099-039-244, 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 Ms. Arakelyan NAKHSHUN entered 
the U.S. in B2 status on 30SEPT204 and claimed asylum on 
30JUNE2005.  The basis for her claim to asylum was 
persecution, threats, beatings and detention she had received 
as a result of her political activity in connection with the 
2002 presidential election.  Specifically, Ms. Arakelyan 
NAKHSHUN stated that she was detained twice by the police, 
once for two days from February 19th-20th, 2003, and beaten 
several both during both detentions.  She stated that she was 
only released after her husband paid a $600 bribe to the 
officials holding her in detention. She stated that an eight 
man police unit raided their house on March 5, 2003 and that 
her husband and children were present during the raid. She 
also stated that her husband was detained overnight and 
severely beaten for his participation in a rally on April 12, 
2004 which took placed in Freedom Square.  She stated that 
criminal proceedings against her husband were instigated 
based on his participation in this rally. She claimed that 
the family received threatening phone calls every week during 
this time period. She stated that after the events of 2004 
her husband and children went to live with her mother for 
their safety. Prior to these events, she claimed that her 
husband, Mr. Sosik Hakobyn was beaten in front of her and 
their children on April 22, 2002 in connection with the fact 
that she was born in Azerbaijan. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) On 16SEPT2009, Post interviewed Ms Arakelyan's 
husband Sosik HAKOBYAN 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 Ms. Arakelyan's I-589 application for asylum.  The 
consular officer asked Mr. Hakobyan about his life in Armenia 
and if he or his wife had ever experienced any persecutions 
or beatings while living in Armenia. Mr. Hakobyan stated 
repeatedly that his wife had never been beaten, that he had 
never paid a bribe to release his wife from police custody, 
that their house had never been raided during in 2003, that 
their were never criminal proceedings instigated against him, 
and that he did not at any point live with his wife's mother. 
 In addition, he stated that he had never spent the night in 
jail during 2003 and that his wife had never been in jail at 
any point in her life. He also states that he never 
participated in any demonstrations in Freedom Square. 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Given the significant conflicting information 
provided by Sosik Hakobyan and the fact that he was unable to 
substantiate a single fact included in his wife's asylum 
claim, Post suspects that Nakhshun Arakelyan's original claim 
for asylum was fraudulent. He denied every single detail of 
his wife's asylum claim including his own supposed beatings, 
detention, bribes paid, and participation in a political 
rally.  As a result of these inconsistencies, 
Post concludes that Mr. Arakelyan's I-589 includes 
misrepresentation of the circumstances upon which the asylum 
claim rests.  Post believes this new information necessarily 
casts doubt on the fact of record in this case. 
 
¶5. (SBU/NF) To preserve the principal applicant's 
confidentiality, the questions put to Sosik Hakobyan were all 
factual questions to confirm information for the record.  The 
consular officer's questioning was such that she never stated 
that Mr. Nakhshun Arakelyan had received asylum or intimated 
that one reason for her departure from Armenia was that Ms. 
Arakelyan had difficulties in Armenia. Sosik Hakobyan was 
interviewed in a private room where no one could overhear the 
conversation. 
 
¶6. (SBU/NF) Post issued Mr. Hakobyan a YY transportation foil 
as he qualifies for Visa 92 following-to-join status in all 
other respects.  His information is as follows: Sosik 
Hakobyan, DOB 01 MAY 1955, Alien Registration Number: 
A89303003.  Mr. Hakobyan's intended address in the United 
States is c/o of the petitioner Ms. Nakshun Arakelyan, 10545 
 
Pinewood Avenue, Tujunga, CA 91042-1510. 
 
¶7. (U) Post point of contact is Vice Consul Laura S. Conaway, 
ConawayLS@state.gov. 
YOVANOVITCH