Dozens of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh have been allowed to leave the blockaded region over the past two days, triggering speculation about a possible deal.
The arrest sets a chilling precedent, as most of the adult male population of the region has either fought against Azerbaijan or served in the local army, which Baku calls an "illegal armed formation."
Gubad Ibadoglu's arrest came shortly after he vowed to retrieve "money stolen from the Azerbaijani people" and bank it in an educational fund he recently co-founded.
Azerbaijan seems happy with the EU-mediated track of negotiations with Armenia while seeing Russia as a barrier on the path to integrating Nagorno-Karabakh.
Soyudlu residents' protest last month appears to have borne fruit, but the village is still under lockdown. And more people have been arrested for showing solidarity.
The de facto president and other officials are camped out in tents in Stepanakert's central square demanding that Armenia and Russia take action to end Azerbaijan's blockade.
Ilham Aliyev asserted that Soyudlu residents have the right to protest in the face of environmental hazards, though he also backed the police, who brutally suppressed their demonstration.
Azerbaijan has long resented France's alleged pro-Armenian stances. Now it is couching criticism of these stances in a broader critique of Paris' "neocolonialism."
Law enforcement continues to control movement in and out of the village of Soyudlu. More people have been arrested as well, including a former MP who represented the area.