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Dutch police review arrest after pregnant woman thrown to ground in viral video
Dutch authorities are reviewing the arrest after video showed officers using force against a heavily pregnant woman, drawing widespread condemnation.
- On May 19, 2026, Dutch police arrested a 30-year-old Palestinian man at a temporary asylum center in Zeist, where video footage captured officers throwing and dragging his heavily pregnant wife to the ground.
- Wesam Mekdad stated he damaged his room's television and door "in a moment of despair" after receiving a deportation order to Egypt and a two-year Europe entry ban, while his wife faced potential transfer to Germany.
- Police claimed officers responded to reports of threats and vandalism involving a knife, though online reports suggest officers were originally called for "complaints of vandalism" during standard inquiries at the Zeist facility.
- Authorities confirmed yesterday that the use of force during the arrest will be reviewed, with police stating officers were acting in a "dynamic situation" to ensure safety at the scene and themselves.
- Mekdad called the incident an "injustice" in social media posts showing the confrontation, as local officials continue reviewing whether protocols were followed during the May 19 arrest.
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48 Articles
48 Articles
A video in which a police officer wrestles a heavily pregnant woman to the ground in an asylum seeker center in Zeist is being widely shared on social media. What do we know...
AZC Police Zeist Shortly before ten o'clock in the evening on May 19, a report comes in to the police. There is trouble at the asylum seekers' center in Zeist, a…
·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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A video of a pregnant woman being thrown to the ground by police has gone around the world and has put the country on edge.
·Denmark
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Dutch police are investigating a scandal within their own ranks after a video was leaked showing a member of the intervention unit brutally knocking a heavily pregnant woman to the ground in a hostel for asylum seekers in Zeist.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources48
Leaning Left11Leaning Right10Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Left
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left
L 46%
12%
R 42%
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