VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYE #0874/01 3521520
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
R 181520Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9873
RUEPICA/USCIS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1657
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1978

UNCLAS E F T O YEREVAN 000874 
 
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 - 
LUSINE TERTERYAN - DOB 11AUG1972 
 
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 Lusine TERTERYAN 
DOB 11AUG1972, 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. Lusine Terteryan entered the 
U.S. in B2 status on 28MAR2008 and claimed asylum on 
01SEPT2008.  The basis for her claim to asylum was 
persecution, threats, beatings and detention she had received 
as a result of her political activities in 2004 and during 
the 2008 presidential election.  Specifically, Ms. Lusine 
Terteryan stated that she was beaten and detained overnight 
by the police on April 13th, 2004 for her participation in a 
political rally.  Ms. Lusine Terteryan stated that after this 
incident she was not active in politics again until 2007. Ms. 
Terteryan stated that she was arrested on 38FEB2008 while 
delivering food to protesters. During this arrest, she stated 
that she was interrogated and beaten once. She was detained 
overnight in connection with this second arrest. Ms. 
Terteryan stated that on 06MAR2008 four police officers 
appeared at her house with a supposed warrant for her arrest. 
During her arrest, she stated that her husband was severely 
beaten.  She claimed that during this third arrest she was 
also interrogated and beaten once. Ms. Terteryan stated that 
she was released from police detention after her husband paid 
a bribe to the police.  Ms. Terteryan also claimed that after 
her departure for the United States the police visited her 
home several times in her absence and threatened her husband. 
USCIS approved Ms. Terteryan's application for asylum on 
10OCT2008. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) On 10OCT2009 the follow-to-join sons of Ms. 
Terteryan, Hrair Hayrapetyan and Haik Hayrapetyan, appeared 
at U.S. Embassy Yerevan for an interview.  Haik and Hrair 
were accompanied by their father, Ms. Terteryan,s husband, 
Mr. Matevos Hayrapetyan (DOB 28APR1963). The interviewing 
officer elected to interview only Mr. Hayrapetyan due to ages 
of the follow-to-join children at the time the events 
included in the asylum claim took place.  Mr. Hayrapetyan 
stated under oath that his wife, Ms. Lusine Terteryan, had 
never received any injuries, had never been beaten, and had 
never been the subject of police violence. He stated that Ms. 
Terteryan had never been arrested. Mr. Hayrapetyan also 
stated that his wife, Ms. Lusine Terteryan, had never been 
detained overnight for any reason. He also stated that Ms. 
Terteryan had never had any problems whatsoever with the 
police in Armenia. When asked if he had ever paid a bribe, he 
stated that once he paid a 300,000 dram bribe (approximately 
$800) to the police.  He could, however, recall no details of 
the events surrounding the payment of the bribe other than 
the fact that HKHK (People's Party of Armenia) assisted him 
in some way in paying the bribe.  Mr. Hayrapetyan was not 
able to recall what type of assistance was provided.  Mr. 
Hayrapetyan could also recall no instance where he was the 
subject of police beating or violence, nor could he recall 
ever being visited or threatened by the police after his 
wife's March 2008 departure to the United States. 
 
¶4. (SBU/NF) Given the significant conflicting information 
provided by Matevos Hayrapetyan, and the fact that he was 
unable to substantiate a single fact included in his wife's 
asylum claim, Post suspects that Lusine Terteryan,s original 
claim for asylum was fraudulent. Mr. Hayrapetyan denied every 
single detail of his wife's asylum claim including his own 
supposed beating and police harassment.  As a result of these 
inconsistencies Post concludes that Ms. Terteryan'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 Mr. Hayrapetyan were 
all factual questions to confirm information for the record. 
The consular officer's questioning was such that she never 
stated that Ms. Lusine Terteryan had received asylum or 
intimated that one reason for her departure from Armenia was 
that Ms. Terteryan had difficulties in Armenia. Mr. 
Hayrapetyan was interviewed in a private room where no one 
could overhear the conversation. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU/NF) Post issued Hrair Hayrapetyan and Haik 
Hayrapetyan YY transportation foils as they qualify for Visa 
92 following-to-join status in all other respects.  Their 
information is as follows: Hrair Hayrapetyan; DOB 25DEC1996; 
A#089-297-855 and Haik Hayrapetyan; DOB 05JUN2001; 
A#89297862.  Hrair and Haik Hayrapetyan's intended address in 
the United States is c/o of the petitioner Ms. Lusine 
Terteryan, 5917 Jamieson Avenue, Encino, CA 91316. 
 
¶7. (U) Post point of contact is Vice Consul Laura S. Conaway, 
ConawayLS@state.gov. 
YOVANOVITCH