Republic and Federation Impose Sanctions on Amarr Empire for "Insufficient Response to Kahah Massacres"

Great Caravanserai, Matar – The Minmatar Republic and Gallente Federation governments have approved trade sanctions against the Amarr Empire, as a response to the Empire's handling of the recent violence in the Kahah system. The Republic resolution, reportedly drafted two weeks ago, was announced by the Tribal Council to coincide with President Jacus Roden's signing of complementary Federation sanctions measures this morning.

"The Empire has long brutalized and massacred the oppressed under the rubric of 'pacification'," said Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor in his announcement of the Tribal Council's decision. "These are not the actions of a civilized nation. Until the Empire ends its barbaric practices, we will not tolerate further efforts by the Empire to normalize its economic relationship with the rest of New Eden."

When asked how the Republic would weather the loss of Imperial trade, Shakor said, "The Minmatar Tribes are resurgent. The loss of Amarr trade – which was never a significant part of our economy – only opens the way for new investors and the development of local, Matari enterprises. The Amarr have always wanted people to think that we need them, but the truth is we do not need them and have never needed them."

The sanctions aim to limit Imperial and Khanid access to Federal and Republic capital by freezing assets and implementing travel bans for select Amarr and Dark Amarr officials and Holders. Several hundred Holders and businessmen throughout the Empire and Kingdom are being targeted, with Lord Tunir Tash-Murkon, the current royal heir of House Tash-Murkon, the highest-profile individual to be affected. Other individuals include Zoar and Sons CEO Lady Ardamad Zoar, Khanid Transport director Isan Anmeal, Lord Toha Kojafi of Tash-Murkon bank Dharian Kojafi, and Lords Alar Chakaid and Soshan Fayez, who were involved in the pacification efforts on Kahah.

The sanctions extend to imposing severe restrictions on numerous Imperial and Khanid corporations, effectively preventing them from doing business on planets, moons and colonies in the Federation and the Republic. However, the measures stop short of infringing on the provisions of the Yulai Convention governing extraterritoriality of space stations and regulation of SCC markets. Among the businesses affected are Carthum Conglomerate, Imperial Armaments, Inherent Implants, Zoar and Sons, Dharian Kojafi, Nurtura, and clothing retail company Eternity Designs.

The sanctions also target major Khanid enterprises like Khanid Innovation, Khanid Transport, Khanid Works, Royal Amalgamated, and the Royal Khanid Bank, but these corporations, with the exception of Royal Amalgamated, have considerably fewer economic ties to the Gallente and Minmatar markets. The Royal Uhlans and the Khanid Kingdom's Asbara military elite, both major participants in the pacification efforts on Kahah, were also included in the list.

Though the Amarr Empire and Khanid Kingdom conduct a large portion of their interstellar trade with the Caldari State, a number of Holders and Amarrian corporations have continued to do business with both the Federation and the Republic, especially in the textiles, cyberware, and weapons manufacturing sectors. Trade growth has been limited, however, both by the Empire's protectionist economic policies and by their reliance on slave labor, with neither the Federation nor the Republic willing to deal in slave-produced goods.

The effect the sanctions might have on the Kingdom itself are unclear. The Khanid Kingdom was able to recover from the Caldari-Khanid recession of YC 108-111 thanks to the rebound of the Caldari economy and the negotiation of new trade deals with the Tash-Murkon Family, but its dependence on outside trade leaves it vulnerable.

Federal and Republic representatives have raised the possibility of imposing additional sanctions against Caldari corporations with ties to the Kingdom, such as Lai Dai and Kaalakiota corporations, but are wary of creating additional tension with the State. "We are considering other alternatives for applying pressure," said President Jacus Roden in reply to questions at the post-signing press conference.

Empress Catiz I has called a special session of the Privy Council to discuss the sanctions following the Federation and Republic announcements. Imperial Court correspondents indicate that preparations for a visit to Kahah by an inquisitorial tribunal that would have been headed by Royal Heir Arrach Sarum have been suspended in light of the sanctions against the Empire.