The story: The hashtag “#boycott” in Arabic is trending on Iraqi Twitter following the killing of leading activist Ihab Al-Wazni. The assassination of yet another prominent opposition figure ahead of Iraq’s upcoming October parliamentary elections has prompted a new wave of demonstrations in the Shiite south. In Karbala, where Wazni was killed, protesters blaming armed groups close to Iran attempted to torch the Iranian consulate.

The coverage: Wazni was a candidate for the secular-nationalist ‘Civilized Alliance’ (Tamadon). On May 9, the head of the coalition—outspoken MP Faiq Sheikh Ali— announced...