Page:United States Reports 502 OCT. TERM 1991.pdf/648

 502us2$29I 01-22-99 08:39:25 PAGES OPINPGT

490

INS v. ELIAS-ZACARIAS Stevens, J., dissenting

cuted on account of his political opinion. 480 U. S., at 440 (quoting INS v. Stevic, 467 U. S. 407, 425 (1984)). Because respondent expressed a political opinion by refusing to join the guerrillas, and they responded by threatening to “take” or to “kill” him if he did not change his mind, his fear that the guerrillas will persecute him on account of his political opinion is well founded.7 Accordingly, I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.

7 In response to this dissent, the Court suggests that respondent and I have exaggerated the “well foundedness” of his fear. See ante, at 483, n. 2. The Court’s legal analysis, however, would produce precisely the same result no matter how unambiguous the guerrillas’ threatened retaliation might have been. Moreover, any doubts concerning the sinister character of a suggestion to “think it over” delivered by two uniformed masked men carrying machine guns should be resolved in respondent’s favor.