Washington - The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from victims of apartheid in South Africa who wanted to sue IBM and Ford Motor Company in American courts.

The justices did not comment on their order Monday that left in place lower court rulings dismissing lawsuits filed 14 years ago against Armonk, New York-based IBM and Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford.

The high court had earlier limited circumstances in which foreigners could seek to hold companies accountable in US courts for their participation in or complicity with human rights abuses abroad.