Will a mentally ill person necessarily make an unconscious choice? Or is his will not free?

I ask this following the release of the two hostages who were held captive for a decade, and sorry for the statement… I don't understand what was the need for their release and the release of terrorists in exchange for them. After all, they chose to cross the fence, and there is a chance that they even imagined that they could become captives. So I want to ask whether even in people (whose will apparently) is not always free will, can their choice also be conscious? Also aware of its consequences and risks?
Because if so, we can say that perhaps at least for some of them the choice was conscious and therefore we are not obligated to release them.