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Stan Storimans

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Stan Storimans
Born(1969-01-08)8 January 1969
Tilburg, Netherlands
Died12 August 2008(2008-08-12) (aged 39)
Gori, Georgia
Cause of deathMissile strike
NationalityDutch
OccupationPhotojournalist (television cameraman)
Years activec. 1984–2008
EmployerRTL Group
Known forBeing the only foreign national (civilian) to have been killed in the Russo-Georgian War
SpouseMarjolein Storimans-Verhulst
Children2

Stanislaus Norbertus Ida Maria Storimans (8 January 1969 – 12 August 2008) was a Dutch photojournalist employed by RTL Nieuws who was killed in a Russian missile strike against the Georgian city of Gori while reporting on the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.

Career

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At the age of 15, Stan Storimans joined Persbureau Van Eijndhoven in Tilburg as a holiday job, where he worked on sound, editing and camera work, specializing in the latter. Starting as a sound engineer for NOS Journaal, Storimans found employment as a camera operator with television news service RTL Nieuws from 1989 onwards.[1][2] He made his most prominent reports in conflict-affected areas, such as former Yugoslavia and Zaire, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and later in Afghanistan and Iraq.[3] Storimans also filmed major sporting events, such as the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, and the 2008 European Football Championship.[2]

Since 2000, Storimans ran his own media company in his North Brabant hometown of Goirle, called Storicam Mediaproducties, which he operated with his wife and three cameramen.[1] His widow continued the company in collaboration with the cameramen that Storimans employed. As of 2010, Storicam still worked for RTL Nieuws, but also for the current affairs program EenVandaag.[2][4]

At the time of Storimans' death, author Johan van Grinsven had been working on a book describing Storimans' 20 years of reporting from conflict zones, which was published posthumously on his 40th birthday in 2009.[5][6]

Death

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Gori's city hall and the statue of Stalin on its central square, 2007

On 11 August 2008, Stan Storimans had traveled to Tbilisi with RTL correspondent Jeroen Akkermans to report on the Russian invasion of Georgia.[7] Upon hearing that the city of Gori had been abandoned ahead of the Russian military offensive, the duo arranged for a taxi driver to take them there the next day.[8] The following morning they were joined by Tsadok Yecheskeli, an Israeli reporter for Yedioth Ahronoth.[9] After witnessing bombings on the hills around the city,[10] which the men took to be harmless due to the great distance at which these took place, they arrived in Gori at 10:00 on the morning of 12 August.[8] The following half hour, the journalists viewed a number of locations in the city, such as damaged apartment blocks and the local hospital, before they came to the northeastern corner of Gori's central square. Moments before, a collision between two cars had taken place on the otherwise deserted square.[8] While Akkermans and Yecheskeli stayed near the taxi, where other journalists were also gathered, Storimans walked onto the square to record footage of a statue of Joseph Stalin, among other things. He walked back around 10:45 and had almost reached the taxi when explosions occurred.[8]

The bombing resulted in the deaths of Storimans, who suffered a fatal head wound,[11] and 11 Georgian civilians.[12] More than 20 other people were injured, including Yecheskeli, who was severely wounded and evacuated to Israel for treatment after surgery in Tbilisi,[9][13] and Akkermans and the taxi driver, who both sustained nonthreatening leg injuries.[8] All had been struck by shrapnel from a projectile that had impacted near the city's three-story television and radio center where a top-floor media center had been set up, some 200 meters/yards from Gori's city hall.[14][15] Other buildings in the immediate area had also been hit, but no structural damages were reported. Immediately after the explosion, two small craters were found on the square, as well as the remains of the then-unidentified projectile.[8]

Sandra Roelofs, the Dutch-born wife of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, offered to attend Storimans' funeral, but his family declined the offer as they did not want to politicise the ceremony.[10] Storimans was buried on 21 August 2008 on the Vredehof cemetery in Tilburg. Dutch ministers Ronald Plasterk and Maxime Verhagen were present during the memorial service at Saint Lucas' Church.[16]

Investigations

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After an early assessment by Reuters indicated that the blasts might have been the result of Russian mortar fire,[10] Human Rights Watch reported that it had found evidence that the Russian military had been using controversial cluster munitions in Georgia, including in the attack on Gori.[17]

The Dutch member of parliament and Foreign Affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel said that Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen summoned the Russian ambassador for clarification regarding reports of alleged use of cluster bombs by Russian forces in Georgia; he also urged the Dutch government to persuade the Russians to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[18] The Director-General of UNESCO, Kōichirō Matsuura, also condemned the killings and recalled the obligation under international law to respect the civilian status of reporters. He called on the authorities to investigate and take appropriate action.[19]

On 20 October 2008, the Dutch government announced its investigation has found that Storimans was in fact killed by a Russian cluster munition after the withdrawal of the Georgian army from the city.[20] The investigative team sent to Georgia to gather forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts concluded Storimans was killed by a munition "propelled by a type of missile that is only found in Russia's military arsenal". Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen called the findings "very serious" and said in a statement he had "made that clear to the Russian authorities. Cluster munitions must not be used in this way. There were no troops present in Gori and innocent civilians were killed." Verhagen said the Netherlands plans to raise the matter with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.[21][needs update]

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On 19 April 2024, Storimans' widow, Marjolein Storimans-Verhulst, and his former colleague Jeroen Akkermans announced that they had filed a complaint for war crimes with the International Crimes Team of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service against six (former) Russian servicemen. The accused are the driver of an Iskander missile launcher vehicle and a number of officers and their commanders, who are charged with attacking the city of Gori at a time it could not be considered a legitimate military target due to the lack of a Georgian military presence. The evidence for these charges was gathered and scrutinized through, among other things, open-source intelligence (OSINT).[22] In the statement, a comparison was made to the criminal case following the 2014 shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, in which a Dutch court found two Russians and a Russian separatist in Ukraine guilty of shooting down the airliner and killing 298 civilians—193 of whom had been Dutch nationals.[23][24]

Stan Storimans Award

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On 12 November 2009, the first Stan Storimans Award was presented; a prize for camera operators of news and current affairs programs. Its initiator and organizer was Peter van der Maat, editor-in-chief of the current affairs TV show Netwerk, who had worked frequently with Storimans since 1988 as a reporter for NOS Journaal and RTL Nieuws. The award was presented by Storimans' widow. Since 2015, the Stan Storimans Award has been a part of the prestigious De Tegel journalism awards, becoming the Storimans Tegel. It was first awarded in this new form on 31 March 2016 in The Hague.[25]

Laureates

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Dongen, Johan van der; Olmer, Bart (13 August 2008). "'Ooit word ik zelf wereldnieuws'" ['One day I will become world news myself']. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Goirle. Archived from the original on 16 August 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Stan Storimans". Stanstorimansprijs.nl (in Dutch). Stan Storimans Award. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Dutch journalist killed in Russian bombing of Gori". International Herald Tribune. Tbilisi, Georgia. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  4. ^ "About us". Storicam.nl. Storicam Mediaproducties. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Boek Stan Storimans komt toch uit" [Stan Storimans book will come out after all] (in Dutch). Waalwijk: NU.nl. 13 August 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  6. ^ Grinsven, Johan van (2009). Stan Storimans, oog op de wereld: cameraman van Goirle tot Georgië [Stan Storimans, Eye on the World: Cameraman from Goirle to Georgia] (in Dutch). Tilburg: Pix4Profs. ISBN 978-9460320019.
  7. ^ Brassem, Eric (14 February 2009). "Jeroen Akkermans: De zaak is niet gesloten" [Jeroen Akkermans: The case is not closed]. Trouw (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Jacobovits de Szeged, A.P.R.; Beuving, M.A. (17 October 2008). "Verslag onderzoeksmissie Storimans" [Storimans research mission report] (PDF). Officielebekendmakingen.nl (in Dutch). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Israeli journalist seriously injured in Gori". Cpj.org. New York: Committee to Protect Journalists. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Blasts rock Georgian town Gori, several dead". Alertnet.org. Gori, Georgia: Reuters. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2008.
  11. ^ Sloot, Pieter van der (13 August 2008). "'Weet Stans vrouw het al?'" ['Does Stan's wife know yet?']. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Complaint for war crimes regarding death of journalist Stan Storimans". Prakkendoliveira.nl. Prakken d'Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Van oorlog naar wielerploeg: 'Fietsen bleek mijn weg naar normaal leven'" [From war to cycling team: 'Cycling turned out to be my way to a normal life'] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 28 March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Cameraman Stan Storimans omgekomen in Georgië" [Cameraman Stan Storimans killed in Georgia]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Gori. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Dutch cameraman killed, reporter wounded in Georgia". Cpj.org. New York: Committee to Protect Journalists. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Stan Storimans donderdag begraven" [Stan Storimans buried on Thursday] (in Dutch). Goirle: Omroep Brabant. 18 August 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  17. ^ "Georgia: Russian Cluster Bombs Kill Civilians". Hrw.org. Human Rights Watch. 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Georgia: SP demands clarification as Russians are accused of use of cluster bombs". International.sp.nl. Socialist Party (Netherlands). 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  19. ^ "Director-General condemns violence against journalists in conflict in Georgia and urges respect for media safety". Portal.unesco.org. Paris: UNESCO. 18 August 2008. Archived from the original on 25 August 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  20. ^ "Cameraman killed by Russian bomb". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 21 October 2008. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  21. ^ "Dutch: Russian cluster bomb killed journalist". Wtopnews.com. WTOP-FM. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  22. ^ "Aangifte tegen Russen om dood RTL Nieuws-cameraman Stan Storimans" [Complaint against Russians for death of RTL Nieuws cameraman Stan Storimans] (in Dutch). RTL Nieuws. 19 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Complaint for war crimes regarding death of journalist Stan Storimans". Prakkendoliveira.nl. Prakken d'Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Aangifte tegen Russische militairen om dood RTL-cameraman Storimans" [Complaint against Russian servicemen for death of RTL cameraman Storimans] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Stan Storimans Prijs naar De Tegel" [Stan Storimans Award to De Tegel]. Nvj.nl (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Winnaar 2009" [Winner 2009]. Stanstorimansprijs.nl (in Dutch). Stan Storimans Award. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Cameraman El Mourif wint Stan Storimans Prijs" [Cameraman El Mourif wins Stan Storimans Award]. Het Parool (in Dutch). Hilversum. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Coolen wint Stan Storimans Prijs 2011" [Coolen wins Stan Storimans Award 2011] (in Dutch). RTL Nieuws. 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Cameraman Rekko wint Stan Storimans Prijs" [Cameraman Rekko wins Stan Storimans Award]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Hilversum. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Stan Storimans Prijs naar camjo" [Stan Storimans Award to photojournalist] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Stan Storimans Prijs voor documentaire Omroep West" [Stan Storimans Award for Omroep West documentary] (in Dutch). NU.nl. 14 May 2014. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
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Video

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