The country's main opposition parties have been granted registration by the state after initially being refused. But was it all a trick to delegitimize them among the public?
Amid the growing suppression of the few remaining vocal critics of the government, a fierce campaign has been launched against "no war" activists in Azerbaijan.
The aid was supplied by the Russian Red Cross via the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam. But the Lachin road, connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, remains closed.
Azerbaijan continues the arduous work of demining the territories it regained in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, accepting any international help offered. Questions remain, though, about the timeline and effectiveness of the work.
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.