Abdel Fattah, an outspoken dissident, rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The 40-year-old activist has spent most of the last decade behind bars. Family of Alaa Abdel Fattah has appealed to British authorities to seek consular access to visit him in prison.