Catalonia's leader wants new independence referendum against Spain
The comment from Torra, who is the head of the regional government, came days after nine former secessionist leaders were sentenced to between nine and 13 years in prison over their roles in an outlawed independence referendum in 2017.
"If we are condemned to 100 years in prison for setting up ballot boxes, the answer is clear: We must again set up ballot boxes for our self-determination," Torra said in the regional parliament in Barcelona.
Torra said he was "outraged and upset" about the verdicts, which he described as a "huge farce" and "despicable."
Several consecutive days of protests have followed the court ruling, including clashes with police. Numerous people have been reported injured.
The separatist leadership has spoken out against the violence, calling for the demonstrations to be peaceful.
On Wednesday evening a protest in Barcelona descended into a riot, with protesters burning cars and throwing stones and incendiary devices at police.
The sentencing of the separatists came some two years after they pushed forward with a referendum on whether to declare the economically strong region of Catalonia, including its capital city Barcelona, as an independent state.
The longest sentence, 13 years, was given to the region's former vice president, Oriol Junqueras. Media reports have speculated that the convicted separatists could be freed after serving a quarter of their sentences.
