The story: A US court has ordered an American military contractor to pay 42M USD in compensation to three Iraqi detainees tortured at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in 2003-4. The long-running and widely covered case detailed severe physical and psychological abuse against the plaintiffs. Coming after a 16-year legal battle, observers are divided over whether the verdict will lead to broader accountability for abuses carried out by the US military and its allies.

The coverage: At a Virginia court, the federal jury found defense contractor CACI Premier Technology, Inc. legally responsible for...