Police on Thursday said the recent seizure of a piece of evidence related to an incitement to subversion case was carried out legally and with a court warrant.

Last week, national security police confiscated an item in Yuen Long, believed to be a sculpture "Pillar of Shame" by Jens Galschiot, which had been in storage after being removed from the campus of the University of Hong Kong in 2021.

The statement was released shortly after a letter was sent by Galschiot to the Security Bureau and the police, in which he expressed surprise that the item had been seized without him or his legal representatives being notified.

Galschiot said in the letter that he is willing to testify in court to prove that he is the owner of the item and that it was lent for exhibition in Hong Kong, adding that he hopes to receive confirmation from the authorities that the item will be returned to him when it is no longer needed as evidence.

In the police statement, a spokesman said: “Like any other case, to collect evidence following the progress of the investigation to take forward the relevant case is legal, reasonable, and rational.”

“The government all along carries out its duties and obligations to safeguard national security in accordance with the law, and the handling of this case is no exception.”