"It offends the honor and dignity of Christians and Muslims alike, and affronts believers, regardless of their faith," the statement said, adding that the cartoon "could provoke ethnic conflict and spark inter-religious hatred."
The Russian Union of Evangelical Christians said last Thursday that it had requested that Russian prosecutors open a criminal investigation into the channel's activities over allegations that South Park contains "covert and overt propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia as norms of sexual life."
The Prosecutor's Office has sent the case to court and has also issued a warning to the 2x2 TV Channel company that airs the show.
The Russian adult-oriented cartoon network TV channel faced similar accusations in March 2008, 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 about the 'Happy Tree Friends' and 'The Adventures of Big Jeff' cartoon series, recommending that they remove them from the air to avoid legal issues.
