ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence to the court at The Hague accusing Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Darfur region, the ICC said in a news release.

It was the first time an ICC prosecutor tried to make a case for a sitting head of state, the ICC said. the three-judge panel is expected to deliberate at least six weeks before deciding whether to indict the president.

For more than five years, armed forces and militia attacked villages in Darfur and pursued survivors into the desert, Moreno-Obampo said.

By denying the crimes occurred, Bashir "promoted and provided impunity to his subordinates in order to secure their willingness to commit genocide," the prosecutor said. Bashir "organized the destitution, insecurity and harassment of the survivors. He did not need bullets. He used other weapons: rapes, hunger, and fear. As efficient, but silent.

Thousands of people rallied Sunday in Khartoum in support for Bashir.

Sudan's representative at the United Nations told the BBC any charges brought against Bashir would harm the country's prospects for security and stability and threatened possible retaliation.