Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) has suspended the interior minister after militia gunmen fired on a peaceful demonstration last week.
"Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha has been temporarily suspended" and will face an inquiry "on his statements about the protests and incidents in Tripoli and other cities", the GNA said Friday.
He will be questioned on the authorizations and permits granted to the demonstrators, the security arrangements in place and the "violations committed", it said.
Demonstrations began on Sunday in Tripoli, the seat of the GNA, against poor public services and living conditions, and gunmen fired on the crowd. Similar shootings occurred on Monday and Wednesday.
At the time, Bashagha accused “outlawed infiltrators” of firing at the protesters on Sunday and said an investigation was opened. Bashaga later acknowledged that a Tripoli-allied militia fired live ammunition at peaceful demonstrators. He said in a statement early Thursday that a militia, which he did not name, opened fire and abducted some of the protesters.
At least six people were kidnapped from a Tripoli district by a militia overseen by the GNA, and many others were wounded, according to Human Rights Watch.
Bashagha said in a statement posted on the interior ministry's Facebook page early on Saturday that he was ready to submit to an investigation.
But he demanded any hearing be broadcast live for the sake of transparency.
