The US State Department criticized the position of the Azerbaijani authorities in relation to foreigners of Armenian origin.

State Department said in its Report on Human Rights Practices for 2018 that persons with Armenian names were often subjected to additional inspection at border crossing points in Azerbaijan. Such persons are often denied entry into the country. Civil society activists claimed that a whole generation had grown up on anti-Armenians slogans.

The authorities also harass members of national minorities. Some groups, including Talysh in the south and Lezgins in the north, report that the government did not provide books in local languages.