Shirazi-Parsa v. Immigration and Naturalization Service
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
14 F.3d 1424 (1994)
- Written by Mary Katherine Cunningham, JD
Facts
Masood and Georgina Shirazi-Parsa (defendants) entered the United States in January 1989 and claimed political and religious asylum. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (plaintiff) began deportation proceedings before an immigration judge (IJ). At the proceedings, Masood, a citizen of Iran, testified that he met his wife Georgina, a citizen of Mexico, when he was a student in the United States. The couple moved to Iran in 1982, and in 1985, Masood was drafted into the Iranian military. The couple testified that in August 1988, they attended a dinner at an officer’s home and that the officer’s wife insulted Georgina’s religion, upsetting Georgina. The couple testified that the following night, the Revolutionary Guard seized Masood from his home, beat him, and questioned him about Georgina’s religious beliefs and employment at the Argentine embassy. Masood testified that the Revolutionary Guard also accused him of being a spy. Masood testified that he fled Iran when he received a summons from a prosecutor, which failed to specify any charges. The IJ denied the asylum application, finding that Masood and Georgina had failed to demonstrate a well-founded fear of political or religious persecution. Masood and Georgina appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The BIA upheld the IJ decision, finding that the Iranian government feared Masood was a spy and that the government was not interested in Masood’s political views or Georgina’s religion. Masood and Georgina appealed to the Ninth Circuit, renewing their asylum application.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Nelson, J.)
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