( CNN ) -- At least 300 people were killed and 700 injured during the Tunisian uprising , a top U.N. human rights expert said Saturday . Juan Mendez , who is in the north African nation this week to study issues facing the interim government , was briefed by a fact-finding commission set up to deal with accusations of human rights abuses since December 17 . He said he expects the death toll to climb as the group continues its investigation . Mendez is the United Nations ' special rapporteur on torture . He compiles reports and presents them to the U.N . Protests in Tunisia erupted late last year . Fed up with corruption , unemployment and escalating prices of food , people began demonstrating en masse after the self-immolation suicide of a fruit cart vendor in December . The popular protests led to the resignation of the long-time president in January , prompting a wave of unrest across the Arab world . Mendez ' visit marks the first official visit to Tunisia by a U.N. independent human rights expert since the creation of the interim government . He arrived in Tunisia on May 15 and is expected to leave Sunday .
The death toll is expected to rise , says the U.N. expert on torture . About 700 people were also injured . Popular protests in Tunisia led to the resignation of the long-time president in January .