Spain's top court on Monday upheld a court ruling disqualifying Catalan separatist president Quim Torra from office for disobedience, triggering protests across the wealthy north-eastern region.
The decision by Spain's Supreme Court means Torra will have to stand down, unleashing a fresh political crisis as Catalonia's regional government struggles to contain a surge in coronavirus infections in a badly-hit area of Spain.
In a statement, Catalonia's high court -- which convicted Torra in December -- said the disqualification would be effective immediately with his deputy, Pere Aragones, to take over as interim regional chief. Aragones is from a different, more moderate separatist party.
Catalonia's regional parliament will now have to choose a new president but if, as expected, the independence factions fail to agree on a name, it will trigger fresh elections in the region early next year.
Torra said he did not accept the ruling, accusing the court of seeking to "overthrow Catalonia's government" and creating instability during the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
"Their thirst for vengeance is stronger than their respect for the health and lives of people," he said in a televised address where he appeared flanked by his ministers wearing face masks.
He also urged Catalans to once again give pro-independence parties a majority when they return to the polls.
"We want independence, we want self-determination, but above all we want a quality democracy for our country. We will have the chance to move in this direction in elections that will be held in a few months," he said in both Catalan and English.
'Makes no sense'
The sentence disqualifies Torra, 57, from holding office for 18 months and fined him $35,000. He had been allowed to remain in power during the appeal process.
He was convicted for refusing to remove a banner with separatist slogans from his government's headquarters in the run-up to the April 2019 general election, despite repeated appeals by the Spanish election board on grounds that it flouted institutional neutrality.
Protests against the ruling were held outside of town halls across the region on Monday night, including the Catalan capital Barcelona and Girona, a small city at the heart of the independence movement where demonstrators burned a Spanish flag.
A "small group of people" set up barricades and burned garbage containers in central Barcelona, Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, said in a tweet.
Torra, who in the past expressed anti-Spanish views that his critics call xenophobic, said he would appeal the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights.
"I will take freedom of expression and our cause for independence to Europe. And we will win."
Budget woes
The ruling on Monday is likely to exacerbate a bitter dispute within the region's deeply-divided separatist ruling coalition which comprises Torra's hardline Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) and its partner, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC).
The decision also complicates the picture for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who heads a minority leftwing coalition and had been hoping to secure the support of Catalan separatist lawmakers to push through the upcoming budget.
Torra became president in 2018 after former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont fled Spain to avoid being jailed over a botched 2017 independence bid.
Puigdemont then picked Torra, previously a little-known activist, to take over.
Catalonia's 7.5 million people are split over independence, with the latest opinion poll showing 42% in favour, but 50% against.