Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, August 05, 2013

Mohamed Eljarh reports on the increasing levels of extreme violence and distrust plaguing Libya two years after its revolution. He also explains the growing tensions as Libya grapples with its history of suppressing minority groups.  

Writing from Tripoli, Christian Caryl reflects on the legitimized sense of paranoia that fills Libyans. 

Juan Nagel introduces Venezuela’s budding birther movement that could actually be right. 

As President Obama prepares to visit Moscow for the G-20 summit, Anna Nemtsova reports that the Kremlin doesn’t see Snowden as a potential problem for their relationship with the United States. She further wonders how Snowden will find freedom in an unfree country. 

Dalia Haj-Omar reviews a Sudanese author’s provocative account of religious identity, My Isl@m, 

Yuhniwo Ngenge argues that Zimbabwe’s judiciary has failed in its duty to democracy. 

And now for this week’s recommended reads: 

VICE’s Robert King interviews and documents Aleppo’s child nurse, a 14-year old boy providing medical assistance in Syria’s war zone. 

Radio Free Eruope/Radio Liberty covers the pro- Yulia Tymoshenko rallies, two years after the former Ukranian prime minister was arrested. 

In The Guardian, Peter Beaumont reports on the once strong Muslim Brotherhood’s surprising downward spiral across Arab countries. 

Writing in Foreign Policy, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson explain how coups in turn beget additional coups. 

In the Financial Times, Andrew England reports on Zimbabwe opposition’s slim chances in overturning the election results. Blessing-Miles Tendi argues in The Guardian that Zimbabwe’s opposition lost the election fair and square. 

The New York Times‘ Vamsi Vakulabharanam explains the formation of India’s new state, Telangana. 

In The Washington Post, Caitlin Dewey breaks down the spat between Lady Gaga and Russian officials over gay rights. In Quartz, Lily Kuo offers American consumer activists suggestions on what to boycott from Russia instead of vodka. 

As shown in the picture above, protesters in Morocco lashed out at King Mohamed VI for including convicted child rapist Daniel Galvan in a mass pardon of Spanish citizens. The pardon was later overturned after Galvan had left the country. The response to public outcry comes amidst Human Rights Watch allegations that Morocco is limiting freedom of expression.