Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Monday the Jimmy Lai verdict shows that the case had nothing to do with press freedom.

Tang said the High Court judges clearly stated in the verdict finding Lai guilty of three charges that he used free press as a pretext to push for his own agenda in damaging Hong Kong.

"The verdict states very clearly it has nothing to do with freedom of press in this case," he said at a press briefing.

"It is solely because of Jimmy Lai utilising Apple Daily as a platform to advocate his hatred against government, and his thought to try to overturn the [Communist Party of China's] regime."

Refuting a statement by the Hong Kong Journalists Association that the Apple Daily case "caused irreversible damage to the local press long before the conviction", Tang said the former media mogul made use of the newspaper to incite young people to take to the streets, using them as "tools" to oppose the government.

The minister stressed that no one is above the law, and that officers will make arrests and file charges against anyone, including national security suspects, when there is enough evidence to do so.