Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's top court on Thursday cleared the way for a group of Guatemalans to sue Vancouver-based Tahoe Resources in this country for alleged abuses at the company's mine in Guatemala.

The men want redress for what they say were injuries suffered in April 2013 during the violent suppression of their protest against the company's Escobal silver and gold mine, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east-southeast of Guatemala City.

They argued in court filings -- and a lower court agreed -- that they were unlikely to obtain justice in Guatemala, and therefore brought the civil case to Canada, where Tahoe has its headquarters.

"There is some measurable risk that the appellants will encounter difficulty in receiving a fair trial against a powerful international company whose mining interests in Guatemala align with the political interests of the Guatemalan state," the British Columbia Appeal Court said in a January ruling against efforts by the company to dismiss the suit.

By refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court has now effectively allowed it to proceed to trial. It did not give an explanation for its decision, as is typical.

The case is believed to be only the second in Canada against a local mining company for alleged human rights abuses abroad, and the first to go to trial.

Last October, Eritrean plaintiffs sued Vancouver's Nevsun Resources over its alleged use of forced labor. An appeal is scheduled for September.

Canada is one of the world's largest mining nations, with 57 percent of public companies based in this country, according to industry figures.

In their lawsuit, the Guatemalans accuse Tahoe of battery and negligence for the actions of its mine security manager and others involved in a shooting at the mine, which they said in a statement was "a planned show of force to intimidate the local community and eliminate opposition to the mine."

The mine has been in operation for three years.

Tahoe's share price fell more than three percent in New York following the Supreme Court's announcement, to $8.98.