Moscow prosecutors began legal proceedings aimed at the cartoon series South Park today in a bid to kill Kenny in Russia.

Prosecutors took action against the 2x2 television channel for broadcasting an episode of the animated comedy show that featured Christmas songs including a medley duet performed by Santa Claus and Jesus Christ.

The Basmanny regional prosecutors office in Moscow has announced that the programme "bore signs of extremist activity".

The episode in question called Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics was aired in Moscow in January. It shows a number of regular and guest characters including Satan, Adolf Hitler and an anthropomorphised human faeces called Mr Hankey performing in a Christmas variety show. An accompanying CD is available to buy.

Valentina Titova, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors office said: "In accordance with the conclusions made by experts from the court investigations committee, a claim has been filed against 2x2 for its broadcast of an episode of South Park."

The cartoon series made by Matt Stone and Trey Parker since 1997 has attracted criticism throughout its award-winning run and often targets special interest groups and religions for mockery.

A statement by Moscow prosecutors read: "It offends the honour and dignity of Christians and Muslims alike." It could just have easily included Jews, Scientologists, Catholics, Mormons and Moonies all of whom have been mercilessly targeted by American series.

Authorities in the Philippines threatened to ban the programme in 2006 and scores of groups around the world have campaigned against broadcasting the series. The creators respond by describing themselves as "equal opportunity offenders".

The Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith asked prosecutors to ban South Park last week after it said 20 experts had studied the show for its effect on young viewers.

Konstantin Bendas, a spokesman for the group, said "South Park is just one of many cartoons that need to be banned from open broadcast. . . as it insults the feelings of religious believers and incites religious and national hatred.

"It’s one thing if they are on cable TV and viewers pay money and make a conscious choice. But young children should not be able to turn on the TV after school and watch this. They need to be defended.

"Our complaint is against a lot of cartoons, but this one was from South Park season three, episode 15," he said.

Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics was first broadcast in the United States on December 1, 1999, a total of 12 series have been made so far. It was unclear today what the Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith thought about the other 174 episodes of the series, which has won two Emmy awards during the past eleven years.

The prosecutors said they agreed with the Christian group that the programme "could provoke ethnic conflict and spark inter-religious hatred".

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred", which backers say was needed to stem a wave of violence aimed at ethnic minorities.

The prosecutor's office has sent the case to court and has also issued a warning to the 2x2 TV Channel that airs the show.

The Russian adult-oriented cartoon network TV channel faced similar accusations in March, when Russian Protestant leaders submitted a request to the Prosecutor General's Office asking for the channel's license to be revoked, saying it "promotes immorality and violence".

In February 2008, Rossvyazokhrankultura, a regulatory body for television in Russia, issued warnings to the channel recommending that they remove two other series from the air to avoid legal issues.

The Happy Tree Friends cartoon is a virtually dialogue-free animation with a cult following for its extreme violence. The other programme that offended the regulatory body was The Adventures of Big Jeff, a 90-second animation starring a naked Australian on roller-skates.

The Venezuelan authorities banned The Simpsons from being broadcast during the morning earlier this year before the programme was replaced by the fellow US heavyweight Baywatch.

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