[JURIST] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon [official website] on Wednesday condemned [statement] the latest violent clashes in Egypt. While the situation in Egypt is ongoing and the UN is still gathering information on the day’s events, the secretary-general admonished Egyptian authorities for ignoring his recent call for all sides to strive for a peaceful resolution [JURIST report] and instead responded violently toward demonstrators. Wednesday marked one of the bloodiest days in Egypt since the July 3 ouster of president Mohammed Morsi [JURIST report], with at least 275 killed and more than 2,000 injured [NPR report]. The Obama administration also released a statement [text] condemning the violence and calling on the Egyptian military to show restraint and respect the rights of its citizens.

While Egypt has faced political unrest since the Egyptian Revolution [JURIST backgrounder] began in 2011, the country has been particularly volatile since the military deposed Morsi on July 3 and suspended the constitution. Chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mansour [BBC report] has been acting as interim head of state since Morsi’s ouster. On Monday an Egyptian judge extended the Morsi’s detention [JURIST report] by another 15 days in order to investigate claims that he conspired with Palestinian militants during the 2011 uprising. The announcement sparked further protests and demonstrations by pro-Morsi supporters. In July Egyptian authorities announced that Morsi was being the subject of a criminal investigation [JURIST report] for spying, ruining the economy and inciting violence.