The International Criminal Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudan's president on genocide charges was not timed to the court's 10th anniversary celebration three days later, the prosecutor said Thursday.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters he informed the U.N. Security Council, which asked the court in 2005 to investigate the Darfur crisis, of his progress before requesting a court warrant on Monday to arrest President Omar al-Bashir.

"This was my last week to do it, so I did it when I had my evidence ready," said Moreno-Ocampo, noting that the court was about to take a summer recess.

He added that his responsibility is to investigate cases and he "cannot be considering political factors."

The world's first permanent war crimes tribunal is based on a treaty adopted on July 17, 1998 and since ratified by 107 nations.