Malak Mahmoud, a heavily pregnant Palestinian woman, has spoken to Al Jazeera after video footage of her being thrown to the ground by a Dutch police officer at an asylum seeker centre in Zeist — a town in the central Netherlands — spread widely on social media. The incident, which took place on 19 May, occurred during the arrest of her husband, a Palestinian man from Gaza, and has sparked significant public outrage both in the Netherlands and internationally.
According to Dutch police, officers were called to the centre following reports of threats, vandalism, and the presence of a knife. A staff member from the COA, the Dutch central agency for the reception of asylum seekers, had reportedly confiscated a bread knife from the man, who then retreated to a room and was suspected of carrying a second weapon. Officers talked him out of the room, drawing a taser in the process. Police say they repeatedly asked the woman standing nearby to move away for her own safety, and that when she did not comply, an officer grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, causing her to fall. When a physical confrontation subsequently broke out between the man and officers, the woman became involved in the struggle, and two officers pulled her away by her hood and arm. It was at that point, police say, that she told them she was pregnant, after which she was immediately examined by paramedics. No second knife was found on the man.
The officer involved has stated, through a police spokesperson, that he was unaware of the woman's pregnancy and that he would have acted differently had he known. Police have opened an investigation into the use of force, saying they will carefully examine "all facts and circumstances," while also expressing confidence in their officers, who they say make difficult decisions daily under significant pressure.
The footage drew sharp criticism from UN special rapporteur on human rights Francesca Albanese, who posted her disapproval on X, writing: "If you tolerate this, your children will be next." Dutch police have also reported receiving threatening and abusive messages in response to the videos, leading them to disable comments on related social media posts. The incident comes at a time of heightened tension around asylum accommodation in the Netherlands, where recent protests against reception facilities in several cities have escalated into arson and confrontations with emergency services, and municipalities hosting emergency shelters have faced increasing intimidation and violence.
The case raises pressing questions about the use of force in sensitive environments and the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals during police operations — questions that the ongoing investigation will be expected to address.