21.   The minimum-wage draft now goes to the upper house, the Federation Council, for consideration.

22.   Yet the draft still must go through several rounds of voting in the legislature, and lawmakers are expected to propose amendments during each stage.

23.   Britain, France, Russia and the United States have all said they want the draft to go before the United Nations General Assembly in September for a vote.

24.   Though international law allows government restrictions on speech to protect national security and public order, the draft goes further, the groups said in statements released Wednesday.