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."
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.
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.
Azerbaijan shut down all traffic between Nagorno-Karabakh and the outside world on June 15, exacerbating shortages and preventing patients from seeking urgent medical care.
Azerbaijan, which had been pressing hard for a resolution, has eased off following the Turkish elections and their establishment of a border post in Karabakh.
Roughly a month after Azerbaijan installed a border post on the Lachin corridor, a small but growing number of Karabakh Armenians are using the route. But there is still strong social pressure against doing so.