Vic accused foreign fighter charge dropped

Federal Attorney-General George Brandis used his discretion to withdraw charges against a Melbourne man accused of preparing to fight with Kurdish militants against Islamic State.

Jamie Reece Williams, 28, had potentially faced life in prison after being charged with preparing to enter a foreign country with the intention of engaging in hostile activities.

The charge was withdrawn at the request of Mr Brandis, and Mr Williams walked free from the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Commonwealth prosecutors did not explain why the charge was dropped, but Mr Brandis' office said he has a broad discretion and can consider a number of factors.

"On this particular occasion, the attorney-general did not consent to the prosecution," a spokesman for Mr Brandis said in a statement.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further."

Mr Williams admitted to Australian Federal Police that he planned to travel to Iraq to join the Kurdish group Yekineyen Parastina Gel knowing they were fighting IS, but believed it was not an offence, an affidavit submitted to the court last year said.