Thailand bans campaigning ahead of constitutional referendum. Last Friday, Thailand instituted a 10-year jail sentence for anyone who publicly campaigns in advance of the country's August 7 constitutional referendum. This week, the country's election commission pressed charges against members of a Facebook group for criticizing the proposed constitution and the military detained 10 people for "attitude adjustment," prompting immediate condemnation from Amnesty International.

Bulgarian parliament approves compulsory voting. Last Thursday, the Bulgarian parliament agreed to impose compulsory voting in order to increase turnout, which has recently fallen to 51%, the lowest in 25 years. Critics are preparing a suit for the Constitutional Court, alleging that compulsory voting unconstitutionally turns a right into an obligation and legitimizes a corrupt government.