Magnatera: Opposition Party Leaders Executed!

SNOVA -- In one of the Lord Sovereign's more controversial moves since taking the Throne, he has directly ordered, through Imperial Edict, the executions of three leaders of Magnatera's Opposition Party for high treason.

Whilst beloved by his people for his role in ending of the Magnateran Civil War and strengthening Magnatera's economy, it is no secret that Emperor Achilles' policies have severely limited the political freedoms of his people. This undoubtedly stems from the Emperor's misguided desires to prevent the rise of another civil conflict which all but wiped Magnatera off the map in the last half-century.

Since the executions, there's been no further public movements vying for political freedoms. Likewise, the Magnateran government have been hard pressed to apprehend anybody suspected with affiliation to the Opposition Party.

The Nebulan government declares sanctions against Magnatera, not to be lifted until the death sentence is removed from these politicians. Any further action against the political freedoms of the people of Magnatera may well result in a blockade.

The Kannexan Reich condemns the executions and calls for free and fair elections, as well as for the sovereign of Magnatera to respect human rights.

HM The King of Elair publicly condemns the executions, and calls for free and open elections. However, trade will continue as per usual until further notice.

UPDATE:

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE EMPEROR

ROMA NOVA - In a breaking news report, the Sovereign of Magnatera narrowly avoids certain death following an attack by a lone gunman. The gunman, according to members of the Sovereign Guard, reportedly had been hiding behind a tree in a grassy knoll near the Capitol building, waiting for the Emperor, who was meant to meet with ambassadors of the sanctioning nations against Magnatera. The Emperor was reportly uninjured, but has not been seen in public since the incident. His Minister of State Security, Alexander Woolf, had this to say:

"The dastardly attack against the Lord Sovereign is both harrowing and informative," said Minister Woolf, "We believe firmly that this confirms our fears that there is an underground separatist insurgency working against the interests of the State of Magnatera.

Not all people, though, are convinced this was part of a larger operation. In fact, there are some who believe that this attack was staged by the Magnateran government to justify the persecution of the Opposition Party.

One elderly man spoke to us on the condition of anonymity: "Magnatera has not been great in a long time. With Emperor Achilles, we thought things would be different. We thought he could bring change. And he did bring change, but it came at a terrible price. We gave up our freedom for security. And now I fear we'll lose both."

"We will find the culprits behind this cowardly attack," said Prime Minister Cyrus Berrin in a statement on Sunday evening, "And I have this to say to the nations who have responded to us with sanctions. Either you are with us or you against us. The choice is yours."

The Rose Union condemns the executions and the suppression of political freedoms but will take no further action at this time. As this is currently an internal affair among the powers that be of Magnatera, we see no reason to get involved but will take a passive approach of watching the situation carefully and being able to react accordingly.

Amid political sanctions, the Empire of Magnatera has chosen to end its public executions of seditionists, but has affirmed it will continue to arrest and prosecute said individuals for treason and sedition. The would-be assassin of the Emperor has been captured hiding in a motel by law enforcement officials and is being placed on trial for high treason, terrorism, and attempted murder.

Nebula has officially lifted the harshest sanctions, but some remain in place. These will not be removed until many political prisoners are freed.