HELSINKI — An Israeli Holocaust historian praised authorities in Finland on Sunday for publishing a report that concluded Finnish volunteers serving with Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS “very likely” took part in World War II atrocities, including the mass murder of Jews.

Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center lauded the release of the findings by the National Archives of Finland, even if doing so was “painful and uncomfortable” for Finland. Mr. Zuroff called the decision an “example of unique and exemplary civic courage.”

Finland’s government commissioned the independent investigative report, which was made public Friday. It said 1,408 Finnish volunteers served with the SS Panzer Division Wiking during 1941-43, most of them between the ages of 17 and 20.

“It is very likely that they participated in the killing of Jews, other civilians and prisoners of war as part of the German SS troops,” said Jussi Nuorteva, director general of the National Archives, referring to the volunteers.