An appeals judge recused himself on Thursday from hearing the case of imprisoned political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who is contesting a five-year sentence for violating Egypt's protest law.

The judge referred the case a different circuit, setting 8 November for a new appeal hearing.

Abdel-Fattah, an icon of the 2011 revolution which toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak, is serving a five-year-prison sentence over charges including protesting without a police permit and attacking a policeman during a demonstration outside the Shura Council in November 2013.

In 2014, Abdel-Fattah received a sentence of 15-years in jail but the penalty was reduced on retrial in 2015 to five years.

Abdel Fattah has so far served three and a half years of his term.

Most of those sentenced in the case have been pardoned by the president on separate occasions.