“Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha will be fired and subjected to administrative proceedings,” the statement said on late Friday.
The GNA added that Bashagha had to leave his post over the remarks about the rallies, as well as abuses during the protests.
Deputy Interior Minister Khalid Ahmad Mazen has been appointed acting interior minister.
Mass rallies erupted on Sunday in Tripoli and other GNA-controlled cities with demonstrators demanding better living conditions, the resignation of the current government and an end to corruption in the war-torn country. According to Libyan media, the protests resulted in clashes between security staff and a number of protesters. Following the reports about the clashes, Sarraj admitted that the security forces had resorted to excessive violence while dealing with the rallies.